ARRL DX Contest, CW - 2020
Call: VE3NNT
Operator(s): VE3NNT
Station: VE3NNT
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: FN14cm
Operating Time (hrs): 34
Remote Operation
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 37 30
80: 440 88
40: 639 95
20: 1043 102
15: 103 51
10: 5 2
-------------------
Total: 2267 368 Total Score = 2,502,768
Club: Contest Club Ontario
Comments:
This was a fun contest that I took semi-seriously, but I decided to relax and
not kill myself with 2 all nighters. I'm happy with the results. I missed most
of the contest last year due to travel, but if I compare with my score 2 years
ago, it's a definite improvement, due in part to station improvements: an 80m
Yagi and a receiving antenna for 160m (not a Beverage … I don't have the space
for that). However, since I got back on the air, as time passes, I have also
noticed a definite improvement in the link between my short term memory as I
decode a call and my finger movement translating what I heard into key strokes.
There's hope for further improvement going forward.
I installed a triangular receiving array of short verticals last summer, but I
haven't been happy with it. There has been too much noise. However, I discovered
this weekend that it does work better than my wet noodle inverted L on 160m.
With the inverted L, I can hardly hear the Caribbean, and Europe is out of the
question. I thought that the inverted L wasn't even working well as a transmit
antenna until this weekend. With the receive array nulling some noise to the
north west, I was actually able to hear European stations, and surprisingly,
they responded mostly to my first call on the inverted L.
Conditions seemed ok, other than the high bands of course. I caught part of a
10m opening Sunday and managed a paltry number of contacts to the south, almost
all from Brazil. I couldn't hear the islands. 15m was also a challenge. Running
was out of the question. Most contacts were to the south, but Europe did open
for a short time Sunday for me. 20m was a big surprise Sunday late afternoon. I
was pounding away on 40m and decided to check out 20m again for multipliers.
When I got there, Japan was pouring in like I've never heard before, considering
we're at the bottom of the solar cycle.
Running European stations is always a challenge. You have 20 stations calling
you at the same time and you manage to make out a partial call, so you send it,
requesting the caller to respond with his complete call, but you get the hoard
all responding. That really slowed me down. I'm sure that some of you pros have
figured out the optimum strategy for this to maximize your rate, but I'm still
learning.
I managed to work all of the multipliers that I heard, except for V85RH, who
must have had the entire US calling him at the same time.
It was nice to be called by some good multiplier stations while running. Iran
and the Vatican come to mind.
Thanks for all the Qs and I hope to see you all in the next big one. CW rocks!
73, Les VE3NNT
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