CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB
Call: VO1HE
Operator(s): VO1HE
Station: VO1HE
Class: SOSB/15 HP
QTH: The Rock
Operating Time (hrs): 19
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15: 1000 22 97
10:
------------------------------
Total: 1000 22 97 Total Score = 318,563
Club: East Coast Canada Contest Club
Comments:
VO1HE
Yaesu FT-920
Heathkit SB-220
SteppIR 3 Element Beam
Wire Dipoles
Decided to run 15M single band this time. A week before the contest, my amp
started giving trouble on 15 and my rotator controller stopped indicating the
beam direction. Monday, I poked around at the amp and turns out it was probably
dirt on the band switch so 15 started working again. Then, without any warning,
the rotor controller started to work again. Good to go!
Had a look around on Friday before the contest and the band was alive. Lots of
European and African stations and then swinging into the US. Things looked
good.
At the start of the contest, the band was, of course, dead... which is one of
the reasons I chose it. I knew I'd get some sleep and, if the band was open
during the day, I might do alright anyway. Got up bright and early on Saturday
and turned on the rig. Lo and behold! there were strong Europeans already
there. Tried calling a few but found the propagation was one-way! Called CQ for
a while to no avail. Only worked 5 stations so I got a cuppa tea and waited for
the band to open for real. When it did, it really did. I was running Europe and
not hearing any QRM or splatter, which was good until I lifted the footswitch
one time and found myself surrounded by big US stations who, apparently,
couldn't hear me. Oh well. Skip was short to the US. Worked a bunch of W1 and
W2 stations but not a lot of W6, which usually pounded in here lately on 15
during the afternoons.
Saturday was pretty good and I worked 850 Qs before the band started to go. It
looked like I might have a good weekend if Sunday was anything like Saturday.
It wasn't. I got up early to stake my claim and found the band TOTALLY dead.
There were absolutely no signals to be heard for at least an hour. In the first
2 hours I worked 5 South American stations. For most of the morning, I could
hear a few SA stations, some South Africans and S9SS. It was well into the
afternoon before I started hearing any great number so stations and it took me
the rest of the day to hit my goal of 1000 Qs.
Anyway, I managed to get a few new band-countries and one all-time new one so
it was a good weekend overall. I was looking to do 1000 Qs and met that goal
but was also hoping to do 100 countries but fell a bit short.
Thanks to all who worked me and sorry to those I couldn't hear. CU all in the 2
SS contests and CQWW CW. Gonna be a busy month :)
73 -- Paul VO1HE
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|