CQ Worldwide DX Contest - SSB
Call: K4TMC
Operator(s):
Station:
Class: SOSB/10 LP
QTH: Raleigh, NC
Operating Time (hrs): 20.5
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
-------------------------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15:
10: 698 27 107
-------------------------------
Total: 698 27 107 = 271,082
Club/Team: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
Things started out slow Friday evening with 0 QSOs after missing the first hour
of the contest due to son's hockey game. However, Saturday morning started
with a blast, and 10 was solid with S9+ signals from 28.300 to 29.000. I
quickly set a goal of working 100 countries, which I passed early Sunday
afternoon, ending with 107. The only ones heard that I missed were TF, E30,
and K5K. So, it is possible to make DXCC in a single weekend on one band.
Finally had to quit around 5pm Sunday, the wife was screaming, the kids
fighting, and the dogs barking!
My hat is off to the XE station that continued to run stateside stations while
his young child screamed in the background, tripping his VOX frequently while
he was trying to copy the calling stations. And I though I had it bad with
just knocks periodically on the shack door from my 8 and 14 year-old.
The opening to Europe did not seem to last as long Sunday as it had Saturday.
On the other hand, the Sunday opening to S. America seemed to last till the
end.
The 50 ohm wide band yagis proved themselves again. With signals all the way
up past 29 MHz, it really is great to have an antenna that does not need any
tuner adjustments while tuning the band. And having multiple arrays pointed in
different directions saves rotator turning time; just flip a switch. Only one
problem developed; I did not fix a separate antenna on Africa as in the past.
So, when 5X1Z showed up late Sunday afternoon, I had to go out and rotate the
AB952 mast with the 4 element yagi from South to East. It worked - go him on
the second call!
Station:
FT1000MP, with INRAD mod and filters
Heil HC4 element on Radio Shack headphones
MFJ432 keyer
Compaq 4110D laptop (eliminates RFI from 17 in. monitor!)
Writelog
Antennas -
6 ele. 10M Rope Yagi fixed on Europe at 45 ft.
3 ele. 10M Delta Loop fixed South at 45 ft. on AB577 mast
4 ele. 10M yagi fixed West at 40 ft. on AB952 mast
10M collinear J-pole vertical (N1LO design, 50+ ft.) hanging from tree limb
Stacked extended double Zepp dipoles, top at 45 ft. oriented NE/SW with Johnson
Matchbox tuner
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