ARRL DX Contest, CW - 2022
Call: KU2M
Operator(s): KU2M
Station: KU2M
Class: SOSB15 HP
QTH: Wayne, NJ
Operating Time (hrs): 22
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15: 1163 93
10:
-------------------
Total: 1163 93 Total Score = 324,477
Club: Frankford Radio Club
Comments:
Tough weekend on 15; while nobody's complaining about the rising sunspot
numbers, we're still a long way from optimal conditions. Compared to even two
years ago, I wound up with notably lower QSO and mult totals (unassisted, that
is), and noise levels on 15M were high much of Saturday (how high? Solid S7 to
S9 much of the time to Europe, suggesting very high northern path absorption).
And yes, while there were some big signals, overall, signal strengths seemed
down.
Later on Saturday, a serious windstorm with 50MPH gusts came through the KU2M
Triangle, and around 5 PM, just as the band started to open to JA, my system
suddenly developed high SWR on all antennas and I had to shut down. Going out in
the windstorm with its sub-zero windchill was delightful. Happily, the antennas
measured OK, but there was something wrong in the cabling and switching system,
and it was getting too dark to work on it (and my hands were frozen) so I just
connected my main antenna to a direct line into the shack, and ran for cover.
Dupeday morning (some people call it Sunday) I was out at the tower by 7 AM in
19 degree temps trying to find out what was wrong - which turned out to be a
defective, "name brand" pre-fabricated coax cable with an apparently
defective PL259 connection. I homebrewed a solution, reconnected everything I
had disconnected, and for some reason, that got the switching system and
antennas working again. SO, I was back in business - with my fingers crossed. I
had lost more than 2 hours of prime time operating, but nobody ever expects the
EA Inquisition.
I couldn't help noticing what seemed to be lower activity, in both the number of
Qs and the number of mults that didn't show compared to ARRL CW tests a few
years ago. Looking at other scores seems to reinforce that this wasn't just me,
and had little to do with my lost two and a half hours - other unassisted scores
seem to reflect my experience. Glad that that's behind me, though and I'm
looking forward to the SSB contest in two weeks!
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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