ARRL DX Contest, SSB - 2021
Call: WO1N
Operator(s): WO1N
Station: WO1N
Class: SO Unlimited LP
QTH: Massachusetts
Operating Time (hrs): 15
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 6 5
80: 50 29
40: 55 41
20: 160 62
15: 50 17
10: 0 0
-------------------
Total: 321 154 Total Score = 147,378
Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club
Comments:
Station: FTdx5000, C3-SS@38', 40MDi@55', 80M-C, 160MInvL, N1MM+
Soapbox :
Wow probably the worst conditions I've ever experienced in a
SSB contest. I normally take a reserved approach to sideband
contests from the home station/low power/low antenna. I
thought maybe 500Q in 15 hours was possible while still being
enjoyable. The definition of not enjoyable is the MUF falling
to 7 MHz, the OWF falling well below 7 Mhz both nights
and polar paths pretty much shutdown. N1MM+ says about 15
hours operating.
At times I felt like a spectator listening to this fantastic
contest going on to the south of us.
The Caribbean was in a radio blackout zone for me until the
last 5 or 6 hours on the high bands. However reaching into
South America was fine. I worked more PYs in this contest
than every other country. Italy was 2nd.
All S&P the first night. Pretty disappointing rates. Saturday
morning on the high bands had a surreal element brought on
by only being able to hear one side of the exchanges and a
lot of the CQ in the face experience. As operating was
unproductive I drifted off to other projects.
The tribander got stuck pointing direct west Saturday
mid-afternoon. Not a huge deal as it wasn't helping anyways.
Picked at the low bands a bit on and off Saturday night,
SO1W (Single Op, 1 Whiskey for the uninitiated). Couldn't
hear Europe on 160, worked just about everything spotted
on 80 and 40 was broken with the MUF/OWF below the band.
Had a chat with N2KW at K1TTT on 160 and he noted he
had been calling CQ for 3 hours without a single response.
Hmmm, that's bad. I hit the sack early.
Got up Sunday morning and was on the radio at 1130Z to see
literally zero spots on 160, 80 and 40. The only station
on 20 was K5ZD. Sounded like he was having fun. Played
around with the rotator controller but the antenna was
still stuck west. Went back to bed.
Around 1600Z I checked the bands and the rotator started
working. Great. Messed around most of the day on
the high bands working mults. 20M kind of opened to
Europe for me well into the afternoon and I could
finally work into the Caribbean. At that point it was
all I could do to reach 300Qs. With a certain element
of irony, I was able to work 3 new band countries. LoL.
Glad that's over!
73,
Ken - WO1N
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