CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB - 2019
Call: EA5ON
Operator(s): EA5ON
Station: EA5ON
Class: SOAB HP
Class Overlay: Classic
QTH: Torrent
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160:
80: 91 6 33
40: 174 16 60
20: 1366 25 77
15: 1010 24 95
10: 405 11 50
------------------------------
Total: 3046 82 315 Total Score = 2,266,473
Club: Torrent Contest Club
Comments:
My first attempt at SOAB in quite a while, and my first time in Classic. If
Classic wasn't an option, I wouldn't have done SOAB, my bones just aren't up to
48h in the chair.
As usual, last minute rush to get everything finished. I had booked the club
station in advance, got clearance, and even went up 2 weeks prior to check on
the antennas, noise, etc. My plan to set up the previous weekend turned into a
usual friday night last-minute attempt. I had computer issues, as usual, so took
a spin round to EA5KV for tech help. When I arrived, he and EB5KT were also
setting up, putting up a tower, so I pitched in to help. Once the tower was
uprighted and stayed, we got the computer issue fixed. Dumb Duncan had been
trying to connect the IC7610 using the USB3 port. Duh! Headed up to the station
to get set up. Forgot the keys!! Luckily there were some guys there doing a tech
class so I was able to get everything done. Connected everything up and... yes,
you guessed, still couldn't get the PC to talk to the rig. Message to EA5KV who
promised to send me a video, then off home to tend to the family and get some
sleep.
6am, chuck a load of food in the car, check the I got the videos, and up to the
station. The videos are gold, everything now works, I get on for my first 3
hours. S&P on 80, 40, and 20. This is when every QSO is a multiplier and it
feels the gods are smiling on me. No stateside heard on 80 though. When I take
my first break I read a text from K1KK (doing 80m mono band) who tells me he had
antenna issues but seems the band is poor.
I get back on and concentrate on running on 20. A few JA call in, nice to see.
The rate continues around the 100 mark and slowly the mults are coming up. I do
a round on 15, nicely open to the middle east and I have no problem to work
everyone I hear. I run for a while on 15 and then check 10. Lo and behold, there
are a few guys there and I manage a few mults. Trying to run is a different
story though, moving the antenna anywhere east of 10 degrees brings up the
background noise and those guys are too weak.
After a lunch break I get back on 15 and we have some propagation to the states,
woohooh! I manage a nice run which is however abruptly shut down by the
propagation gods just as I was getting into the swing of things. 20 is too busy
to try stateside so I head to the bottom end of the band to work EU. JT1DX comes
up only 1kc away from me but we both manage to run decent rates, Only in CQWW!
Eventually I see a hole in the scope and try my luck, I manage to work a good
amount of stateside until the band more or less folds.
Dinner and early bed, up at 4 for an hour of multiplier hunting on the low
bands. My dipoles have high SWR on the band edges and the expert is not happy,
Times like this where I wish I'd brought the Acom 1000, which wouldn't have
though twice about it, but my back says the Expert was the better choice. I plug
in the LDG autotuner with a view to working the band edges and also to see if I
can get any antenna to tune up on 160 (no antenna now at the club for that band)
but the ATU steadfastly refuses to do anything at all. Its on the list of
casualties that need post-contest attention. So, back to my camp bed is the best
idea....
Sunday morning was pretty much the same with the exception of 10m where to band
opened up good enough to allow a good run and leave the counter at over 400 with
some unexpected multipliers. Also on 20, I turned the beam long path around 9am
local to see if there were any pacific stations and lo and behold there was
ZL1BOS 59 on the same qrg as an italian. How come they couldn't hear each
other?? I exchange greetings and reports with Jim. Kudos to the Italian for
standing by, a true gentleman contester. Then I move up the band to work a dozen
other ZL and VK. I trawl the band but no other pacific to be heard.
15m after lunch is full of caribbean multipliers and so is 10. This is normally
bad news as it means it won't move up north but today it does and I manage a
great long run stateside. With 5 hours to go, the counter is at 2300 and
jokingly EA5KV tells me that he'll be disappointed if I don't reach 3000. As if
I needed a challenge! With just under 1 hour left of my 24h, I pass the 3000
mark. And just then, 20m dies. I spend the last hour looking for multipliers.
Shame 40m is so noisy, I got a text later from JW5E telling me he called me
repeatedly but I just couldn't hear him.
So, my first time in this category and I had a whale of a time! A category where
I was never bored or frustrated, I got enough rest, and it was something that
required a bit of strategy. It had all the usual fun ingredients of CQWW, big
pileups, good DX, unexpected callers (who could have expected that not one but
two stations from Thailand would call me while I was working just Europe), and
of course, the greetings from friends all over the world. A pity I didn't
contact OM Fred NA2U at KH7M, I almost thought I had him nailed but it turned
out to be KI7M (who I was also happy to work). Also I noticed how much I've
become dependent on cluster spots. The last few years when Ive done unassisted
its been single band, so its not an issue, but for SOAB, I felt like I was
running half blind. I guess it did me good to practice though.
Thanks to the guys at Torrent for letting me use the station and of course to my
tech support EA5KV without whose help I'd have had a lot less fun.
Rig ICOM 7610 (this is such a great rig! You can go for hours without any
fatigue on this, its such a step up)
Amp Expert 1,3K, kept chugging along, only complaining when there was operator
error
Antennas, the trusty old Optibeam OB11-3, a rotary dipole for 40, and an
inverted V for 80.
The acid test: Are we still having fun? YOU BET WE ARE!!
73 de Duncan EA5ON
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|