CQWW WPX Contest, CW
Call: NA2U
Operator(s): NA2U
Station: NA2U
Class: SO(A)AB(TS) HP
QTH: AZ
Operating Time (hrs): 35:35
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 0
40: 179
20: 408
15: 396
10: 21
------------
Total: 1004 Prefixes = 499 Total Score = 1,074,846
Club: Arizona Outlaws Contest Club
Comments:
Icom 756 Pro III, AL-80B (800w most of the time), Tarheel 200A-HP ground-mounted
screwdriver antenna, Alpha Delta DXCC 80m-10m dipole most of which is 58 inches
high (that is 1.47m for you metric guys) hanging on the concrete block wall
surrounding my backyard.
Well, this was an adventure for sure. I planned on SOAB(A)HP but this guy
“Murphy” kept showing up. I did not enjoy his uninvited contributions. At
least I don’t have to claim him in my classification!
I live in a homeowners association antenna-restricted home. While the
screwdriver antenna would not be my first choice of antennas in an unrestricted
environment it is the best solution to the antenna problem at my QTH. I
recently found a solution to the RFI problem (or so I thought) I’ve been
having with our house alarm when transmitting QRO on 40m and 80m. Alarm chirp
and clicks and many times this has resulted in a phone call from the alarm
monitoring company. As a result of resolving this problem, I turned down an
offer to operate multi-2 at N7AT. I wanted to see what I could do from my own
QTH and WPX CW was the best opportunity to do this especially since the alarm
problem was ‘solved’.
All started well enough Friday night but then on 40m the alarm started chirping
(Murphy visit #1). I lowered power to about 500w and shortened the whip on the
antenna and the chirping in the alarm stopped. Finding a more permanent
solution is back on the ‘list’.
On Saturday morning at 1644 UTC I worked N1LN on 20m, the 4th QSO of what I
thought might actually be a ‘run’, and then the rig tuning went crazy. I
tried adjusting the screwdriver tuning and nothing worked. I went outside and
found the screwdriver on the ground in pieces (Murphy visit #2)! The base was
broken and the whip was laying next to it on the ground. The whip was
unscrewed from the quick-disconnect. I don’t understand this . It takes
numerous turns to unscrew it. I’ll never know what happened with that.
I was thinking that my big plans for this contest were dashed since I did not
have the needed replacement parts and was discussing options with my XYL when
she asked (!) if I could use the dipole. It was just hanging on the wall
because I’d been too lazy to take it down after installing the screwdriver.
I didn’t think I would use it again and I wasn't thinking of it now with the
screwdriver in pieces. I had taken down one half of the dipole because the end
of it was about three feet from my Pixel magnetic receiving loop. I went out,
moved the Pixel away, re-hung that leg of the dipole, and returned to the
radio. Dipole works OK, given its height, so I started operating again. I
lost 36 minutes of operating time. This contest was going to be a challenge no
matter which antenna I used. I made 409 QSOs with the screwdriver, the
remainder (almost 600!) with the dipole. Thanks, Liz! If there is any upside
to using the dipole it is that there is very little, if any, noise. This meant
not having to use the receiving loop. I worked ON4UN on 20m SSB using the
dipole and amplifier a couple years ago and, when I described my antenna, John
asked if I had ever tried using it under the ground!
Sunday morning I lost another 36 minutes (coincidentally) when, for reasons
unknown, N1MM+ stopped communicating with my rig (or the other way around).
Murphy visit #3. Numerous mouse clicks, program restarts, and reboots later
and I was back at it. Later Sunday morning (local) the bands all of sudden
were pretty much silent. Not sure what type of disturbance but it was weird.
Conditions seemed to improve during the final 2 hours of the contest.
I have never had to repeat my exchange as many times as I did in this contest.
I will echo Rich, KL7RA, in calling this “WPX Serial Number Repeating
Activity”. Many times I would send it twice before being asked. This only
helped part of the time.
I had three goals for this contest. They were: score at least 1 meg, make at
least 1,000 QSOs, and work at least 500 prefixes. When the bands went bad I
thought I might not make any of the three. Missing 500 prefixes by a single
prefix is close enough for me.
There ain’t no meters like ten meters and the decline in 10m propagation was
sadly felt by all.
In spite of Murphy I had a great time. Thanks to all who needed the repeats
for being so patient and thanks for the Qs.
73,
Fred/NA2U
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