Volta RTTY DX Contest
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs):
Summary:
Band QSOs Pts Mults
-------------------------
80: 9 103 7
40: 81 804 18
20: 141 1868 41
15: 1 2 1
10:
-------------------------
Total: 232 2777 72 Total Score = 46,387,008
Club: British Columbia DX Club
Comments:
* FT2000 + SB221
* N1MM Logger + MMTTY
* 3 ele. SteppIR @ 47'
* 40M dipole @ 47'
* 80M twin vertical array
SFI=72 A=13>7 K=3>2
Conditions were really bad on 20M with no decent EU opening -- just the big
guns. Even NA was hard work with high noise. Timekeeping was wonky, but I
figure I was at it for about 10 to 12 hours.
Went in hoping to give the new SteppIR a shakeout cruise and at least tie the
16M-point effort from last year. Didn't expect to approach the 57M-point
personal best of 2007. A few more EU stations in the 20M log would have pushed
the score well past that PB. Pretty happy to see a record Q total, and come
within one mult.
Band QSOs Pts Cty Sec
3.5 9 103 0 7
7 81 804 5 18
14 141 1868 24 17
21 1 2 0 1
Total 232 2777 29 43
Score: 46,387,008
Will need more time on task to get a good feel for pre- and post-change
performance with the new antenna, but it does work. I had many long stretches
without the amp just to see what it could do, and it performed very well.
Bandwidth and trap power handling on RTTY are no longer issues -- amplifier
loves it. Quick-reverse 180-degree mode netted plenty of extra Qs. Band changes
take only a few seconds -- a sip of coffee, or less time than it takes to turn
the knobs on the amp if moving from 20 to 15M, for example.
The SteppIR's 40M dipole element did a fine job. Having a rotary antenna for
40M makes up for the gain I'm losing by taking down the twin half-square array
(which fired either to JA or the US/Caribbean). No EU on 40M, but the dipole
made it easier to work a few VKs and my lone ZL section. By far my best 40M
tally in Volta RTTY so far.
After a few more contests and I'll know just what the differences are between
old and new.
20M tallies in recent years:
Qs Pts Cty Sec Mults
2009 141 1868 24 17 41 SteppIR HP
2008 115 1385 16 15 31 CL-33 HP
2007 165 3131 40 13 53 CL-33 HP
2006 98 1311 18 17 35 CL-33 LP
40M tallies in recent years:
Qs Pts Cty Sec Mults
2009 81 804 5 18 18 SteppIR dipole
2008 61 517 2 13 13 Half-square/phased verts
2007 48 476 3 14 17 Half-square
2006 26 259 1 11 12 Inverted-V beams (2 and 3 el.)
Year-over-year Qs Mult Pts Score
------------------------------------------
May-09 SOABHP 232 72 2,777 46,387,008
May-08 SOABHP 179 48 1,908 16,393,536
May-07 SOABHP 216 73 3,634 57,300,912
May-06 SOABLP 150 60 1,825 16,452,000
May-05 SOABLP 71 33 536 1,255,848
May-03 SOABLP 25 16 228 81,600
Thanks for the contacts.
-- Bud VA7ST
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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