ARRL DX Contest, CW
Call: W3UA
Operator(s): W3UA
Station: W3UA
Class: SOAB(A) HP
QTH: NH
Operating Time (hrs): 36
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 92 58
80: 203 79
40: 889 101
20: 711 91
15: 353 70
10: 31 29
-------------------
Total: 2279 428 Total Score = 2,926,236
Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club
Comments:
This is getting VERY old... Nice weather == S7 to S9 noise on every band. The
only antenna I could copy anyone on any band (up to 10 meters) was my low band
receiving 4-SQ, designed for 160/80... Still noise floor was well above S4, but
at least I could copy some. On the directional antennas I could hear no one at
all...
So the competition was out of question, and I used time to see how different
combination of transmitting antennas look on the reversed beacon network.
Indeed, all my new 15/20/40 stacks work like champs. In most cases I was on the
par with all the big guns! If I only could copy all the guys who called me... I
still managed to work some people running 5, 4 and 1 1 watt; but I guess I was
cursed as deaf by many. Sorry guys, please blame National Grid. Their repair
crew identified 2 towers with bad insulators back in November; but no repair
date is set yet. It can take several months until they plan to take down a
chunk of High Voltage line running from Canada to New York and replace a bunch
or cracked insulators, which cause me that horrible noise for last 3 years...
Right in the middle of JA run (sorta kinda... the 160/80 4-square is not really
good at pulling weak JAs on 20), my new 6 element 20 said "hrrrm", and SWR went
through the roof. Dunno what happened, but most likely winds damaged the
feedline (at least, mechanically antenna looks intact from the ground). It was
a definite message from "above" to get to bed. Next morning I used my
multiplier 4-square as a main 20 antenna... anyway, for me it was not a
competition after all.
The bottom lone... a lot of work ahead, and when one day National Grid fixes
the noise, I should be ready for the contests big time. Meanwhile, just a few
points for YCCC....
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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