ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB
Call: VE4GV
Operator(s): VE4GV
Station: VE4GV
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: MB
Operating Time (hrs): 10.5
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80:
40: 202
20: 463
15: 15
10:
------------
Total: 680 Sections = 79 Total Score = 107,440
Club:
Comments:
Brutal.
Just totally F^&*(ing brutal. That sums it up.
Without a doubt the worst propagation that we have had in VE4 land for almost a
decade. I knew somewthing was seriously wrong a couple of days before the test.
Bands sounded awful. No.....I mean really awful. Hangover from the solar
flatulence of a couple of weeks ago, no doubt. Auroral zone stretched way below
the 49th parallel and that is a bad sign around here.
Kissed 10 m goodbye last year. On 15 M I only heard very strong 4s 5s and 6s. .
Last year I got beat by VA7RR and I knew that was an omen of things to come.
Favored proagation paths seemed to be moving a bit west and south. It's going to
be another 7 or 8 years before we see those big numbers from VE4land again.
First hour...56. 56 !! From MB?! I cannot remember the last time I couldn't
run 20 M at the start of the test with at least a 120 rate. 2nd hr was 123 (
all on 20 m) but 20 closed very early and NO one was on 40. At around 0100, I
heard two signals on the entire 40 m band. That was it. I pulled the plug and
said (literally) "f&%$ this s#$%, I've got better things to do. Considering how
much I love this test, I never thought I'd say that. Very surprised to see the
number of stations that missed MB for sweep. We were there, at least for the
time that the band was open.
Bumped into VE4XT who agreed that condx up here plainly sucked, big time. Even
the venerable VE4VV ( running his traditional Qrp in SSB could only muster
about 300 Qs. Any time VY1JA makes all of 210 Qs, you know something is
seriously wrong.
Honestly? If this is the way it's gonna be next year, I'm thinking of just
moving this whole business to KP2 or KP3. If I'm gonna be sitting around fpr
hours on end with my thumb up my butt, it might as well be in my shorts,
enjoying the tropical scenery, a cold brew and a the warm sun.
10.5 hrs in SS SSB? Folks, this was NOT fun.
Rob VE4GV
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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