Frustration in contesting from Africa, hmmmm?
The answer is: BE LOUD. Be LOUDER in the US than the Europeans. Be SO
LOUD that the Europeans can still hear you from Africa while beaming
North, West or East.
Truth (and reality) is that no-one is trying to "run" Africa, although
everyone wants all the mults!
I've done a few contest operations from Africa, with mixed results.
CQWWCW 94 at 9X5EE was a very nice logper antenna setup, good for a
new Low-Power AB worldrecord although I basically worked only 10, 15
and 20m. This was LOUD.
Exercises in other contests (ARRL DX, WAE, CQWWSSB 95) as 9Q2L and
9R1A were at times frustrating. No-one listening South, my R7 vertical
signal (with or without amp) not being LOUD enough to get anyone's
attention when propagation is a bit down. Propagation has to be
challenged. If it's not there, you should still be heard! In these
cases I elected to work 15M SB, because on that band my signal is
LOUDER than the "internal" QRM in Europe or US. Equal results could
not be achieved doing 20 SB with the same setup.
At D25L WW SSB 96, I used a nice 10 ele logper @ 60 ft, overlooking
the Atlantic Ocean, and a TL922 for some extra punch. You guess it,
this was LOUD (very much so, in fact) and I could hold on to my run
freq for hours. Anyone coming close was quickly discouraged.
Unfortunately during the WW CW this same setup let me down after only
a few hours of contest.... (3DA0NX was lucky enough to make it as the
LAST entry in my log!).
Contesting from Central/Southern Africa can be fun but there is a lot
of (extra) effort required to be heard among the stations from EU and
NA. It wouldn't hurt if the northern hemisphere listens for
"down-under" once in a while. In particular I'd like to send this
advice to OA4EI, on whom I spent so much time, in vain, during WW SSB
95 AND SSB 96. I missed the OA multiplier on both ocassions because he
just beams North. Now I know that I won't have to waste time on
calling him in the future because he isn't listening, anyway!
73, Alex D25L (PA3DZN)
|