ARRL DX SUMMARY SHEET
Contest Dates : 15-Feb-97, 16-Feb-97
Callsign Used : N2IC/0
Category: Single-Op (No Assistance)
Name : Steven London
Address : 4529 WCR 32
City/State/Zip : Longmont CO 80504
Station Description: TS-950SDX, TS-940S, Alpha 76PA, Alpha 76CA,
160: Sloper, 80: 2 el vertical, 40: KLM 40-M3 @ 115', 20-10: Stacked
KT-34XA @ 115', 65', KT-34A, Beverages NE, E, SE, SW, NW
Country : United States
BAND Raw QSOs Valid QSOs Points Countries
______________________________________________________
160CW 33 33 99 25
80CW 166 165 495 59
40CW 654 652 1956 78
20CW 910 905 2715 91
15CW 100 100 300 45
10CW 21 21 63 9
______________________________________________________
Totals 1884 1876 5628 307
Final Score = 1727796 points.
I really didn't have high expectations for this contest - Just like last year,
there were no sunspots, and frankly, last year was a boring, predicatable
contest. This year, there were pleasant surprises, followed only a few
hours later by unpleasant surprises.
0000Z-0200Z - As usual, I started the contest on 20 meters, running JA, while
making a few second radio QSO's on 40 to EU. The first hour was the best of
the
weekend - 112 QSO's. DU, YB and XX9 were nice mults to have call in on 20.
20 essentially died by 0130Z.
0200Z-0300Z - 40 was in really good shape to EU. For a short period of time,
I was able to run EU on 40, while successfully S&Ping EU on 80. This is really
unusual from here in Colorado. It must have been really quiet in EU on 80 -
the
usual alligators could hear me ! Having HZ1HZ call me on 40 was great !
0300Z-0500Z - The good times didn't last on 40, as the MUF dropped. I settled
in on 80, continuing to have good luck with S&P EU. I was real happy working
V51Z, T9DX, 3DA0CA, 9G5BQ, UA2FJ. Made my first trip to 160 at 0400Z, but
the band wasn't good.
0500Z-0730Z - Better luck on 160 at 0500Z, with ZD8Z and others in the log, but
still no EU. More EU on 80, but I was reaching the limit of copyable Europeans.
Went to 40 a few times after 0600Z, expecting to start a JA run, but only
the big guns were copyable. EI6BT was the only EU heard/worked the entire
night on 160 at 0717Z. Just after that, I noticed an incredibly loud G4BUO,
and decided to try a few CQ's of my own on 80. Eureka - a mini run on G's and
F's for 10 minutes.
0730Z-1000Z - 40 was truly horrible. The MUF stayed so low that JA's could
not be run, and there was no sign on Europe after their sunrise. I had no
choice but to try and run JA on 80. With only a single vertical on 80 for
transmitting, and high QRN on the JA beverage, it was real tough going.
I apologize to the JA's that called me that I just couldn't pull through
the power line noise. I finally gave up at 1001Z and took a 90 minute
nap.
1130Z-1400Z - When I got back on at 1130Z, 40 was wide open to JA. When
did the MUF go up and open the band ? 5 minutes after I went QRT or 5
minutes before I got back on ? 40 stayed hot until about 1300Z. Many thanks
to XX9TR, YB0ASI, BV7FF, KH2D and N7ET/DU7 for new 40 meter mults. Moved
KH2D to 80 for one of the few successful multiplier moves of the weekend.
1400Z-1500Z - Sunrise was just before 1400Z. This is a tough hour to manage
from Colorado - 40 is open to JA and long path to EU, while 20 is open to EU.
Meanwhile, you have to check 15 and 10 for a possible sunrise enhancement.
I worked EU1DX on 40 LP at 1405Z, and began a 15 minute run of LP EU until
I just had to QSY to a wide-open 20 meter band. Made another trip back to
40 around 1500Z, but the LP was gone, and ran some more JA.
1500Z-1700Z - 20 was okay to EU, but I have heard better openings. Just
grinded out QSO's with fluttery, weak Europeans. Worked a handful of very
weak, skew-path Europeans on 15 around 1630Z for my only 15 meter EU of
the day. Unlike you lucky east coast
guys, 15 was just AWFUL on Saturday from Colorado. The band didn't even open
to Africa - I heard a very weak 9G5BQ who couldn't hear me.
1700Z-1900Z - Back to 20 running EU, with a few S&P QSO's to the South on 15.
1900Z-2100Z - To my surprise, 20 stayed open to EU long after their sunset.
As a bonus, the flutter was much reduced, making copy of weak stations much
easier.
2100Z-2300Z - The 20 meter JA run began on-schedule at 2125Z. 20 still
open to EU - I had a rare opportunity to turn the stacked XA's in different
directions - the high antenna to EU, and the low antenna to JA. Running
both EU and JA for an hour was a contest highlight ! F5OJL was the last EU
at 2219Z, but FR5DD called at 2225Z for a great multiplier. JA7FTR was the
only JA worked on a still-awful 15 meter band at 2237Z.
2300Z-2330Z - More JA on 20.
2330Z-0030Z - Made a strategic decision to break off the JA run and go
to 40 to look for western Europe. Didn't really have a lot of success.
In fact, I never did work PA, SM, ON, SP, OZ or GI on 40. What is it
about western EU propagation from Colorado ?
0030Z-0130Z - More JA on 20, with a few S&P EU on 40. Heard a few extremely
weak Europeans on 160. Went to sleep at 0135Z, with dreams of a super
160 opening to Europe when I reawaken before 0600Z.
0600Z-0700Z - Disappointment - 160 is not good ! I manage tough QSO's with
G4BUO, GW3YDX, and EA4ML. Did I miss the opening while I was sleeping ?
Unlike last night, 40 is excellent - wide open to JA.
0700Z-1400Z - The MUF stays high enough on 40 all night, and I make up lots
of lost ground running JA. A35RK calls me at 0722Z on 40, but doesn't have
an antenna for 80. Many thanks to YB9BON for moving with me to 80 several
times before I could hear him through my NW beverage QRN. Many thanks to
XU6WV and BA4TB for the 40 meter QSOs, and VS97BG and N7ET/DU7 for the
80 meter QSOs. H44FN and KH8/N5OLS are neat 160 catches.
1400Z-1900Z - 20 is much better this morning to EU. Work lots of QRP stations,
and the flutter is minimal. I really excellent opening by Colorado
standards. I make several excursions to 15, but only
work GW3YDX (5 bands !), YU1KX, CT1BOH, and a few EA4's.
Several of my Slovenian friends are heard on 15. Thanks to HZ1HZ, SV2BFN and
7X2RO for calling on 20 for good mults.
1900Z-2100Z - Really slow. At 1930Z I had a total of 5 QSO's and 1 mult on
10 meters. Finally got desparate, spent a few minutes CQing and had calls from
two ZZ2 stations, P40W and PJ9C. ZD8Z went in the log for a 6-band QSO.
2100Z-2300Z - Slow. The only excitement was the 30 minute opening to KH6 on
10 meters. AH6MZ, KH6BZF and KH6AQ were S9+40 dB - I haven't heard signals
like that in years. Nice to work ZL1ANJ, also. Despite many tries, never
heard a peep of KL7Y or JA's on 10 meter scatter. With such an intense
KH6 opening, I thought I could pick up 5 more countries - no luck !
2300Z-2359Z - Bounced between 15, 20 and 40 meters. A few JA's worked on 15,
but not a real opening. Tried moving K9AW/KH2 to 15, but no copy. IS0OMH
was the last mult worked (40 meters).
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