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[3830] ARRLDX CW P40W(W2GD) SOAB LP

To: 3830@contesting.com, w2gd@hotmail.com
Subject: [3830] ARRLDX CW P40W(W2GD) SOAB LP
From: webform@b4h.net
Reply-to: w2gd@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2014 19:34:13 +0000
List-post: <3830@contesting.com">mailto:3830@contesting.com>
                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: P40W
Operator(s): W2GD
Station: P40W

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 41

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:  152    41
   80:  382    55
   40:  813    58
   20: 1079    58
   15: 1109    58
   10: 1221    58
-------------------
Total: 4756   328  Total Score = 4,674,000

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

K3, 99W, Win-Test 
160 Vert Dipole 
160/80 Inv. V at 60' 
80m half square at 50 feet - broadside USA  
F12 2 el Delta 240 @ 68' 
F12 C31XR @ 62' Never rotated off ~320 degrees. 
F12 C3 @ 60' - never used 
800' NE, 500' N/S, 500' NW

When band conditions are 'spectacular' in North America....they are much more
subdued in this part of the world.  Add in low band noise from storms off the
east coast, some low to moderate absorption, and an unpleasant CME event which
noticeably 'muffled' signals on the high bands (particularly during the last
six hours on Sunday), you don't have the best recipe for record breaking
scores.  BUT, on the positive side, I missed not having to endure four or five
snow storms back home in NJ this week....so that's more than sufficient reason
to be in "happy dance" mode. 

Arrived late Monday afternoon to find only minor problems since my last P40W
visit in November.  The Northwest and North beverages were in need of repair, 
the 20m reflector had fallen off my backup F12 C3 on tower #2, and the most
troubling issue were the vines growing up a set of guys on tower #1...they had
become so thick the tower was noticeably pulled over.  Had hoped to work the
FT5ZM expedition on Monday night but just couldn't break the pileups on 80 or
40 meters with just 100w under marginal conditions ... sigh.

Tuesday morning I ran errands.  Stopped in at the local 'FCC' to pick up my
license invoice and then on to the bank to waste an hour making the payment. 
Then on to the food store for provisions.  Spent Tuesday afternoon building an
80 meter half-square antenna which was installed at about 50 feet between the
two 60' towers (see the excellent article about this antenna written by Rudy,
N6LF at http://rudys.typepad.com/ant/files/antenna_halfsquare_array.pdf ). 
Over the next several days many dozens of rx and tx comparisons of this easy to
build antenna showed it consistently outperformed a reference inverted V @ 60
feet by an easy 3 to 5 db. Not having sufficient height, I bent the two 71 foot
vertical elements into what look like sideways "Vs".  For such a
simple and low antenna, the results were exciting and well worth the time.

With the unusual luxury of "free time" I spent most of Wednesday
goofing off....operated the three CWOPS CWT contests, and even went to the
beach for a few hours....something I haven't done on Aruba in nearly a decade.


Back to work Thursday.  Spent nearly 3 hours cutting away most of the vines
that were on the tower #1 guy set....removing over 100 pounds of vegetation
that had been pulling the tower over and acting like a giant 'sail'.  I can
sleep easier.  Also braved the seasonal high winds late in the day to
re-install the fallen 20m reflector on the C3 @ 60 feet....an exciting hour of
fun in a 30 mph breeze....but at least it was 85F and not 15F like back home. 

The day before the contest I try to do something that makes me sufficiently
tired so a three hour afternoon siesta comes easily.  This time I decided to
paint 60' of 25G (tower #2)...this took 2.5 hours using a paint mitt.  

OK...now some comments about the next 48 hours.

At the starting bell found 10m wide open.....and rightly or wrongly started
there (instead of 20m) for a quick 20 contacts. The rate dried up...then up to
15m I go, another quick 30 contacts, same thing, rate disappears, then on to
20m.  There was never a time the entire weekend when rates matched those
experienced in 2013.  It felt like someone was holding this "invisible
sponge" over Aruba sucking the RF out of the air....a nightmare that would
reoccur over and over this weekend.

Went to 160m at 02Z....had my best and only real run of the weekend there
(being the first P4 to appear on the band helps).  My plan had been to front
load as much 160 and 80 the first night as possible, knowing full well another
snow storm was going to be off the east coast of the USA on Saturday night. 
Good strategy, somewhat poor execution....in retro should have pushed harder to
move more western US/VE mults to 160 on night one.  LOW POWER is definitely a
different ballgame (compared to HP) under what were less than optimal
conditions.  Very happy with myself for NOT deciding to go QRP this weekend, it
would have been much more "challenging" than that I would have
wanted.

At about the 10 hour point (just before local sunrise), I started to sneeze and
my nose would not stop dripping, my head clogged up....conditions that would
persist for the rest of the weekend.  Went through two boxes of kleenex tissues
over the next 36 hours....just felt terrible.

Between 12z and 16z on both days I should have slept.  No matter how hard I
tried I could not find rate anywhere.  This is normally one of the low points
of all ARRL DX events from here, BUT rarely is it this bad. Then, all of a
sudden, at 1600z a switch is thrown and all hell breaks loose on 10m and then
15m.  Tried real hard to erase the QSO total deficit built up Friday night, but
at the half way point, I ended up about 300 contacts behind the 2013 contest. 
This shortfall would continue to grow larger.

Saturday evening presented the predicted QRN on the low bands, and with
elevated absorption, it made 160m almost useless at LP.  The only saving grace
was a lively opening on 20m which provided some good rate, mostly west coast. 

About 3 a.m. local time decided I needed a three hour nap....so I set two loud
alarm clocks, literally six inches from my head.  Woke up at 7 a.m. (an hour
late) with them both blaring away incessantly ...I suppose my stuffed up head
(and exhaustion) had something to do with it.  In the process my friends at
P40L tell me that I missed the best 160 opening to the western US/VE all
weekend.  Its always something....

Suffered again through the local morning lull on the high bands....until 16z
when predictably 10 meters became workable with rate.  Actually made some
headway on the QSO total deficit for the next few hours and then BAM....the A
index jumps to 20 and K to 5.  Down here you literally heard the sun 'talking'
and it is not saying good things.  The rate drops on 15m like a stone, I move
to 20, it sounds like someone switched in the 20 db ATT.  Such it was.

Final impression - I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else this
weekend...enjoying a CW contest!  It's always fun to work so many good friends
again....beating the worst of this winter's weather was just icing on the
cake.

73,

John, W2GD


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