Well I found out that having the beam at 34 feet and not being able to
rotate it except from 20 to 55 degrees just makes for a poor contesting
experience.
Since my shack PC only runs in safe mode my logging programs no longer
execute. Jim, K8CC sent me a copy of NA and its loaded on this PC but its
across the room from the rig. So I hand logged and I forget its the pits
compared to computer logging.
Well I started out Ok (0200)and the first 15 stations came right back with
VP9I being the only NA I worked and 4L0ABC being the best Dx. I start out
just trying to work 1 per country before I fill in the gaps. The first hour
ended with me spending 5 or 6 minutes to work 6W1RY who was S 9 + 15. So
54 Stations the first hour or about 1/2 of what I did several years ago with
the beam at 86 feet.
The second hour started at 0550 and Asia was gone and most were from Western
Europe or YU, S5 or Italy. I struggled to work 47 stations in 55 minutes.
I ended with ZL6QH off the back of the beam.
About 30 of the 97 stations were between 7150 and 7200
and I did hear several between 7100 and 7150. There was one Dx station on
7002 and I worked one at 7012.
I listened to NQ4I (7154) work stations and also to KC1XX. About 50% of the
KC1XX were in the mud
whereas only 2 or 3 worked by NQ4I were. I was surprised that KC1XX
struggled with G3MLO as I heard him plainly on KC1XX's frequency. He was S7
to 8 at 0630Z. I called him below KC1XX and he came right back!
Let's see 97 stations not many zones (17) and 53 DXCC Entities. In 1
hour and 55 minutes.
Unlike what has been said on the cq-contest reflector it was two and three
deep from 7001 to 7100 and almsot all the gaps between 7150 and 7200 had a
Dx station simplex. HQ4R sat on 7103 for a while. Savvy ops were listening
between 7100 and 7150 and UK9AA was on 7131!!!!
Hope everyone had fun.
73 Dave K4JRB
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