CQWW WPX Contest, CW - 2023
Call: VE6TL
Operator(s): VE6TL
Station: VE6TL
Class: SOAB HP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 22:45
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 12
40: 118
20: 423
15: 224
10: 5
------------
Total: 782 Prefixes = 477 Total Score = 1,050,354
Club:
Comments:
Disaster! Early Saturday morning I discovered my trusty Yaesu FL-7000 amplifier
was only putting out about half the power it should. I had replaced one of the
two pairs of final transistors a couple of years ago and it looks like the
original pair gave up the ghost. At about $400/pair, it is time to look for a
new amp. Having come to this conclusion, I still ran the amp at about 250W for
the rest of the contest (better than my barefoot rig), that is, until I began to
detect that familiar but dreaded burning insulation smell. The last 4 hours
involved running the FTdx5000MP barefoot.
The amp wasn't the only issue in this contest. Band condx were both noisy and
vy QSB. Saturday night saw aurora condx as signals had that unmistakable
"through the blender" sound. I tried running a few times but never
made more than a handful of contacts before giving up. So 95% of all my Qs were
S&P. This required a lot of concentration, which is why I didn't do more
hours. I'd estimate that I was either asked to repeat my serial number or asked
the other station to repeat theirs (or both) in about 80% of all Qs. I expect
my score to be heavily discounted by the log checker!
In spite of all the issues, I came very close to equaling my personal best, set
in 2012, right after the Dayton Hamvention and coming home with a bad cold. But
at least my amp worked back then, so in many ways this is more gratifying
result, having persevered through more hardship.
Jerry VE6TL
Calgary, AB Canada
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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