ARRL DX Contest, SSB
Call: VP2MMF
Operator(s): K1XX
Station: VP2MMF
Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Montserrat
Operating Time (hrs): 44
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 171 35
80: 332 52
40: 603 56
20: 1141 60
15: 1650 61
10: 1605 60
-------------------
Total: 5502 60 Total Score = 5,346,972
Club: Florida Contest Group
Comments:
My 3rd visit to the Gingerbread Hill location (www.gingerbreadhill.com) for ARRL
SSB. Each year I change & add to the antennas, hopefully with improved
scores. This year my 160 meter efforts were suitably rewarded. No halfway
measures
like the first year. I supported a single k9ay loop with a 30 foot fiberglass
mast installed in the clear on the back lawn. For transmit I installed an
inverted L and folded counterpoise (K2AV style). This one was also in the clear
using a 50 foot palm and a rope from the crank-up tower. I managed to get a
roughly 45 foot vertical section. Many reports of being loud even with my
paltry 100 watts. Only heard 1 station (CA) that I could not work.
80 & 40 still need work, especially when compared to other
less-geographically challenged stations in the Caribbean. As expected, my 10
& 15 advantage started to evaporate with the declining conditions.
Sunday's surprise improved conditions did a lot to increase the QSO counts. It
also helped my moral since I didn't have to face a lot of 20 on Sunday. An over
crowded band and low power is not my idea of fun.
The biggest challenge this year was fatigue. My planned Friday afternoon nap
got overcome by events which meant starting the contest having already been up
12+ hours. By the wee hours of Sunday morning I was having trouble talking and
had to sleep for a few hours. The fatigue continued to plague me for the rest of
the contest. At 68, I'm fortunate to be able to still do 40+ hours.
The most pleasant surprise was having VY0ERC find me Sunday afternoon on 15
after I'd asked him to move early in the contest during our 20 meter Q.
Thanks to the many folks that tracked me down for the 5 and 6 banders and also
to the casual ops that jumped in for that single QSO.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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