ARRL RTTY Roundup
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: Single Op LP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 18
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
80: 56
40: 44
20: 152
15: 53
10: 5
------------
Total: 310 State/Prov = 46 Countries = 10 Total Score = 17,360
Club:
Comments:
Rig: FT920
Software: N1MM v. 3.0.177 and MMTTY
Antennas: Spider beam tribander
40m inverted vee
80m dipole
I had fun as usual, but the score isn't much to present and is far from the
target I had set going in (500 Qs). My 310 QSOs is 60 fewer than last year, and
I only worked 46 states/provs and 10 DX mults. That's despite a very intensive
effort for the 18 hours or so I was able to spend at the keyboard.
Conditions were OK, but not stellar (especially for DX). Saw that solar flux was
above 100, a nice surprise. The A and K indices didn't look too bad for the
start but promised to rise by Sunday, with a good chance of a flare or two over
the weekend. I didn't notice any flare impact, but nor did I see any great
openings. I'd classify the weekend propagation as so-so from this sub-auroral
zone.
10m was mostly dead here, but 15 and 20 saw lots of domestic activity. Was very
nice to see more than a handful of stations on 80m, too! I have decided that the
low 80m dipole with droopy ends and 40m inverted vee are serving me better than
the old 102' G5RV at the same paltry 30' height. I enjoy the lower SWR on these
bands, making me wonder why I stayed with the G5RV for so long, now that I have
a beam for the high bands. Old habits....
Worked one station in Sweden and that was it for over-the-pole. Some ZL, VK, FO,
and HI7 action and that was about it for DX in this one. Called ZF2 about a
zillion times, and was finally copied as VE7ST on the skirt of a little pile of
callers. Lost him before I could correct the call and my number went to some
other station. Alas.
Highlights:
-- Finding HI7/OE1DIA way up high on 20m
-- Finding XE2AC way up high on 15m
-- N1MM Logger working flawlessly
-- Working much-sought-after MT in the dying seconds
(Must have gone past 2359z as logger didn't include it in contest log)
Lowlights:
-- Some people mistaking this for NA Sprint, taking my freq. after our QSO
-- 10m is pretty much dead now from here
-- Perennially low multiplier counts from this QTH
The 12-degree horizon to the east of this QTH means I'm handicapped pretty badly
for most of NA, southern EU and Caribbean. A real contester would pack up and
move. Possibly taking the family too, hi hi.
I want to thank Jim, VE7FO, for all his help with the visual horizon info last
month. I learned a lot about the specific terrain limitations of this
valley-bottom QTH.
Will be operating more contests from the country retreat where the antennas are
much higher and surrounding terrain is a bit lower.
Thanks to all for the QSOs. See you next time out!
73, Bud VA7ST
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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