ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX CONTEST 1996
Call: DL0WW Country: Germany
Mode: SSB Category: Multi Single
BAND QSO QSO PTS STATES/PROV
160 59 177 23 28m Shunt-fed Tower
80 363 1089 41 Bobtail
40 344 1032 41 3el M2 Yagi @ 21m
20 1293 3879 58 4el M2 Yagi @ 28m
15 13 39 8 5el Yagi @ 25m
10 0 0 0 (!) 6el Yagi @ 23m
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Totals 2072 6216 171 = 1,062,936
Operator List: DJ5JK, DK3GI, DL1IAO, DL5IAR
Equipment Description: RUN: TS-850, homebrew 8877 Amp
386SX, CT v.850
MULT: IC-735, TL922
5 Band QSO's: K4ISV, KC1XX, N2RM, N3RS
DK3GI persuaded me to join the Lampertheim Amateur Radio Club during
their SSB effort. This sure is a comfortable place to spend 48
contest hours! The QTH is located at the border of the town with a
virtually flat take-off in almost all directions, especially to NA.
The problem is, that there's no place available for Beverages which
turned out to be a real disaster on 160. As a matter of fact, only two
of the club members are interested in contests and so this fine station
usually needs some support for the big events.
With 3GI and 5IAR busy with their QRL's I was running Saturday almost
completely by myself. We had a very slow start on 80m till we figured
out that listening on our TX freq yielded much more callers than
listening above 3800. However this was only the case at the beginning,
later we tried to CQ between 3700 and 3750 and listen on a clear spot.
As occasional 40m QSYs didn't give us much more than lotsa interesting
BC-programs above 7100, we decided to hold the 80m freq and have a
look on 160 at sunrise.
At 0600Z I scan 160m but don't hear much. I have a noise level in the
S8-S9 range on the shunt-fed tower. So start a CQ on 1875 and
immediately have W9RE answering me. His signal really makes me waking up,
conditions must be good! After this QSO the freq gets alive: K3LR,
AA4MM and N4RV are next to be logged and the pileup is growing just too
fast. It sounds like they want to have me for breakfast and I ask myself
if they really mean me and not one of the caribbeans. But "DL0WW you are
five nine Maryland" doesn't sound like working a TD9! I log 25 guys in
the first 10 minutes and 48 in the 30 minutes I hang on there. Most
signals are about noise level and I need a lot of fills. I know that
I'm only able to hear the real big guns. Congrats to KV0Q (CO) for making
it in our log at 0619Z!
20 opened early with K3LR at 0930Z and except a 25 min. trip to 15m
at 1413Z we kept CQing and fighting for our freq there. Couldn't leave
my chair the whole afternoon because this would have seriously interrupted
our rate! Finding a semi-clear freq was impossible, at least if you
friendly asked if the channel is in use. One time we were pushed over
the band and found ourselves CQing on 14348. New England was tough on
15, instead some W4/5's were easy to have. Our 10m sked with K4ISV
didn't work (we were there!!).
Condx were way down the 2nd day with 20m fading into nothing between
1400 and 1600Z and no new Mults heard on 15. We finished the contest
on 40m where we still had a good QSO-potential. Had to move our RX
freq every 5 minutes or so due to BC-QRM. Options were not "better
have QRM from a YU or an I?" but "ok, better Rock 'n Roll than again
those crazy drummers from that African radio station" while keeping a
W9 in mood by asking for his suffix at least the third time.
Yes, we did work that NM multiplier on 20, our endless "CQ Neeew
Mexicoo" was rewarded with K9RS calling. (Would he have worked us
anyway?)
Now, when's the next *CW* contest?
73,
Stefan DL1IAO
dl1iao@sugarland.ampr.org
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