ARRL DX Contest, SSB
Call: VE7FO
Operator(s): VE7FO, VA7IRL
Station: VE7FO
Class: M/S HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 26
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80: 4 3
40: 19 13
20: 140 58
15: 142 49
10: 52 18
-------------------
Total: 357 141 Total Score = 149,742
Club: British Columbia DX Club
Comments:
Not an all out effort for this one. I'm trying to get members of one of the
clubs I belong to interested in HF (95% VHFers) so I invited them to come to my
station and get their feet wet in an exciting contest. I was only able to
attract one and he could come only between the hours of 1 and 4pm Saturday
afternoon. He has had his ticket for only a few months and has no HF or contest
experience whatsoever.
Conditions on Friday were dreadful. Started on time trying to run. First 2 Qs
were W stations. Just sigh, work them and switch to S&P.
Gave up on 10 after half an hour.
Gave up on 15 at 0200Z
Gave up on 20 at 0500Z
Gave up on 40 & 80 at 0730Z and went to bed with 102 Qs and 48 mults.
Back at it at 1545Z. Hey, cndx are better. Start working Eu on 20. After a
while, move to 15 and work some more Eu.
2100Z 186 Qs, 86 mults. Eu has faded out. I switch to 10 and point the beam
at the Caribbean. My victim... er.. trainee arrives. I explain the basic rules
of the 'test to him and show him how to use the only 2 knobs on the Mk V that he
needs - tuning and volume. He practises for a little while tuning in SSB
stations. Remember, he has never heard SSB in his life before this. He catches
on pretty quickly so the next step is to write out the typical QSO procedure.
Having explained that I demonstrate by making a Q with C6ANM and draw his
attention to the spot on the screen where TR shows the country name. He is
visibly impressed. I then tune in KH7X who is thundering in and tell him it's
his turn. He's a little slow making the call and, just as he's about to speak,
someone else calls. Well, it's rude to interrupt so he doesn't call. This
happens a few more times and finally he makes the Q. I show him how to log it
and he starts S&P. Well, by the time 5pm PST rolls around, making him an hour
late getting home, he's got KH7, PY, CX, LU, CO, 6D2, JA, KH2, TO1A, ZF, HU,
V31, V26 and YV and 40 Qs. Each time I point to the country name on the
monitor. When he left he was walking on air and I was really pleased that
conditions enabled him to have this experience.
0100Z 226 Qs, 99 mults. Worked the various bands until bed time. Rates were
pitiful on 40 and 80.
0731Z 301 Qs, 114 mults. Bed time
1550Z Back at it for a while. Eu coming in on 15 and 20. Biggest swap meet of
the year starts soon so quit so I won't be late.
1654Z 323 Qs, 124 mults. Off to swap meet.
2219Z Came home with some goodies. Bargained a fellow DX Club member down from
$2 to $1 for an old TV converter so felt good about that. Also now have
something I can get on 2 with which I didn't have before. Decide to finish off
the contest. Score won't be very good but that's secondary to the good training
experience. This was my first attempt at M/S from this station so made some use
of DX Summit spots (no ability to feed spots directly into TR). I made a list
of the Carib mults I didn't have on each of 10, 15 and 20 and used the spots to
hunt for them. Didn't get them all but got most of them. Got a little choked
when ZF2NT an hour or so before the end said, "That's it guys. I'm going out to
watch the sunset." At least he could have waited until I worked him.
2359Z 357 Qs, 141 mults
My trainee sent me the following e-mail. I don't think he'll mind my making it
public.
==========================
Hi Jim,
Just a short note to once again thank you for your hospitality, patience and
instruction yesterday afternoon ? I enjoyed myself immensely and you have opened
up a whole new aspect of the hobby to me. I have truly been bitten by the
contesting bug and hope to have the opportunity to participate in one again.
The only downside is that my wife now wants to take you down a dark
alley.....:-)
==================================
Now he's working on his cw, asking when the next test is and seeking antenna
advice.
I'm really pleased how well this has turned out.
73 and thanks for the Qs de Jim Smith VE7FO
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