As Dick said, ARRL contest from Europe side is resting thing.Following
the sunspot we did not expect to much activity on upper band. This
year we were suprised with 20 M on good side, but on 15 SFI do everything
to disappointed us. Total score was same as in CW part. That is also
unusually beacuse every year we do at last 1M more on CW than on SSB.
160: Great first night with signal peaking s9. Everything looks like
that 95 score on 160 could be reached first night but at the end
were 150. With lot of hope we wait for second night but as many
time before we left the night with empty hands. Just 40 more
enought to finish with 191/31
80: Before CW part we put one beverage to US which prove our quality
of receiving and number of QSO's, so we expect the same result this
time. The beverage do well but few 'good boys' do better. Maybe
60 % of night they successfully make noise, record some other
station and leave them on our frequency. So this was reason for
bad receiving, and many comments from US as no ears, do they use
receiver .. I would like to apologize to them who waste they time
trying reach us during that period. First night was ok with 400
and on the end with 837/47
40: Just two years ago we do our best score always on 40m. Where gone
that good time ? MUF drop below 7, so activity. Now we can say
that our 4 KLM is not enough to survive the battle on 40. Only
different between noise on 80 and 40 is that on 80 sometimes
'good guys' gave up and gone but on 40 broadcast is always there.
Our problem and not only our was that sometimes few EU station
use same frequency for receiving. Maybe we should also have same
band plan as US station. End with just 692/53
20: That was the band.Great. We took new tactics on 20. This is
receipt. Take one good OP from US. Find empty chair. Open 5 beers.
Announce they you have American hostage on couple US DX cluster.
Wait 48 hours . Pick up log.
Let's go back on air. First station came in the morning our just
to say we are there. We wait 2 hour more to start really work. Rate
were around 100. After 1 hour some noise came from 20 to 15 M. We
check all equipment but did not find any problem, and than see
wath is. Wind start and release break on lower antenna on 20 and
push it 30 degr. left and right shaking elements. We solve that
with wire anchor and rise rate to 150. At the end of first day
band close and half our latter raise up and give us 150 qso more.
Second day condition behave same as first day except show which
start three times afternoon and put s-meter on s9. Good thing was
that snow were in early afternoon when rate were bad. After snow
we keep good rate and reach 1873/58.
Did I say, now you can release DICK ?
15: We don't want to spent so much word on so bad band . First day
one hour with 160 and whole second day with 30 more. Just N4BP
Bob help me to be wake.
10: /
All equipment work OK. Mostly ALPHA and TS-950. This time without
multiplier searching just seat and call.
No need to take EMERGENCY TEAM to repair something.
For next contest we will have lower antenna on 20m rotatable
Team: 9A9A Emil , 9A6D Darko, 9A5W Niksa, 9A6A Pero, 9A2DQ Zeljko
9A7R Braco, 9A3NR Pop, 9A2EU Zlatko, K4XU Dick & 9A3GW Robert
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