ARRL 10-Meter Contest
Call: NX5M
Operator(s): NX5M, N5XJ, N5OLS, N5DUW, N5RP, NT5TU, KA5BKG, NA5TR
Station: NX5M
Class: M/S HP
QTH: TEXAS
Operating Time (hrs): 36
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
CW: 1141 103
SSB: 1721 121
-------------------
Total: 2862 224 Total Score = 1,796,928
Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club
Comments:
The way things started Friday night we were wondering why we were doing this.
Less than 100 qsos in the first two hours. But then??..things started opening
up to the east and west. Despite the band opening as it did the rates were not
as high as they had been in openings in the past. Perhaps people who got on the
air for the first hour or so decided to go do something else when they found the
band in the gutter. Who could blame them?
I personally felt lucky that we were on the air at the start. Thunderstorms
were in the area all afternoon and the last of them moved east at 2330z. Did a
quick check of the radar and it appeared that the threat was over. So at 2345z
I took the relay boxes out to the tower and connected everything up. We were on
the air at 2355z waiting for the starting bell. Conditions were so bad that we
did not even hear the starting bell ring.
By the time we shut things down at 0630z Saturday we had 330 qsos in the log.
Really did not expect to have much dx in the log due to the flux but remained
optimistic that there would be at least some EU and JA openings. We did manage
to work a few. Nothing beyond JA or to eastern EU. Nice short opening both
days around 1900z into Scandanavia and Russia over the pole. I think this is
the first time that more African mults are in the log than EU. Saturday
remained pretty steady as far as rate goes. Band faded some around 0000z but
came back to life within an hour. Had to make the decision whether or not to
stay on the air past 0630z with the band wide open. Signals were still very
strong but there was hardly anyone to work. Guess everyone went to bed. Hey,
it was Saturday night?.stay up. Ha. We decided to shut it down at 0643z and
again be optimistic that there would be some juicy mults to work after 1145z
Sunday morning.
Obviously we were again disappointed. Everything we worked out of EU during the
course of the day were not new mults so we gained no ground. There were more
JA?s worked later in the afternoon than the day before though. Sunday was not
as good as Saturday but like everyone else we stuck it out and worked with what
we had to work with. What else can you do other than just quit!
The reality of where we are in the cycle is starting to kick in. Last year we
had 315 mults and this year only 224. The reduction in qsos was close to 500
and that is obviously the result of very little dx to work.
Well, it is all over now for another year. Time to think about family and
Christmas.
73,
Bob, NX5M and crew!
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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