Single-Op, Low-Power (100W)
117 QSOs 629 QSO points 1258 Final Total
Best distance - a 20-pointer to H44IO, closely followed by a 19-er to JA6
and a 17-er to GM3POI.
Lots of response to CQing - even to the East Coast in central PA. Also
eked out a QRP QSO with N5DX in AR...9 more states to go for a QRP WAS on
Top Band. Heard K1VW, K1AM, W1LEE, W1BB, etc., but not able to raise 'em
on 5W, so turned the juice back up...amps is amps... A bad case of
hiccups hurt my Will to Contest, so I turned in early on Saturday night,
about 0800Z.
Heard also - SM4CAN, YB1AQS, VK6VZ, VR97BG, the huge pileup on WP2/WB9Z.
Still no African QSO, but hope the good conditions hold up long enough for
me to bag one of the ZS beacons this season. Maybe something will pop up
during ARRL DX.
I started on Saturday morning almost by accident - lots of good stuff on
when, lo and behold, people started giving out grid squares at 1500Z! I
figured that a DX QSO today was better than two tomorrow and joined in
with several QSOs before the morning overtook the band; 6 JAs, VY1JA, and
2 KH6. This turned out to be a Good Thing because not very much was heard
on Sunday morning, except for H44IO, a New One on Top Band - thanks Holger
and company!
Best DX signal has to be split between GM3POI and JA5BJS...both had the
loudest signals from their respective locations that I have ever heard at
this Pacific NW QTH. Congratulations! Clive, I'm sure that your mailman
will be grumbling about your mail level in the coming weeks.
The star rx antenna during this contest was the shielded hardline loop -
made stateside QSOs a breeze. This little jewel easily raised the S/N
ratio by 10dB or more over the inverted-L or coax snakes. The snakes were
required to get the long-haul stuff, though.
Great contest and excellent propagational timing!
73, Ward N0AX
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