WAE DX Contest, SSB
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 6
Summary:
Band QSOs QTCs Mults
-------------------------
80:
40:
20: 76 25 30
15:
10:
-------------------------
Total: 76 25 30 Total Score = 6,060
Club:
Comments:
* FT920 + SB221
* N1MM Logger
* Tribander at 45'
Figured it's about time I tried my hand at a phone contest again. Been a few
years since any phone activity other than brief forays in 2003 JIDX (27 Qs),
2004 CQ WW (167 Qs) and a few other efforts so small as to not really count.
This was a test-the-waters outing, and a few folks were probably surprised to
hear a die-hard CW/RTTY op actually talking, hi.
With modest antennas cut for CW, and only low power available in the past,
phone contests have always been a very tough slog for me. Found a hand mic and
jumped in to see what could be worked, but as a phone newbie it'll take lots
more experience to get things sorted out.
I didn't expect to make more than a dozen Qs with Europe, with conditions deep
in the tank. After just one Q on Friday evening with LY2IJ (the only EU I could
hear), Saturday morning's modest 20M EU opening was a lot of fun and it lasted
for three hours or so. Same thing Sunday. Even at the peak of the openings, I
was able to work only a handful of other little pistol stations; the rest were
bigger guns. By mid-afternoon, only superstations could be heard. I was in and
out for about six hours over the weekend. Heard no EU on 40M, though I'm sure
they were there. My 40M half-square pointed over the pole just doesn't hear
them as well as it should.
About 20 stations remarked on a "big" or "nice" signal; the other 55 or so had
a hard time hearing me without fills, sometimes many repeats. Probably the
difference between stations aimed right at VE7/W7, and others working the East
coast with me somewhat off the side of their patterns. I think the VE7 mult
helped get me through.
Took a while to gather courage to offer QTCs in what seemed like marginal
propagation, and when I did it was a small disaster. Messed up my first set on
Saturday as conditions dropped out noticeably (the band was dying to EU and I
shouldn't have tried it). Got to #5 before we gave up. After that experience, I
was gun-shy and only tried a couple of sets on Sunday (both of which worked out
just fine). Left 51 QTCs on the table. Should have handed them off, but I'm not
yet SSB-savvy enough to know who'll hear me and who won't.
Should have played with N1MM Logger a bit more beforehand to discover that I
needed to expand the log window to see all the QTC-Sent lines. Basic practice
matters. Glad I tried my hand -- learned a bunch and am ready for more.
Other findings: hand mic doesn't put out much audio when it's in your hand
backwards. HA8JV earns kudos for hearing me anyway, hi. Boom mic will be on
order soon, I suspect.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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