IOTA Contest
Call: WZ3AR
Operator(s): WZ3AR
Station: N3HBX
Class: SO24SSB HP
QTH: Clarksburg, MD
Operating Time (hrs): ~18
Summary:
Band CW Qs CW Mults Ph Qs Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
80: 12 5
40: 0 0
20: 349 68
15: 61 27
10: 0 0
----------------------------------------
Total: 0 0 422 100 Total Score = 299,400
Club:
Comments:
I've always enjoyed IOTA chasing and the IOTA contest, but this year's event was
like pulling teeth. There was nothing on 10m or 40m, 15m never really opened to
EU or to the Pacific, and 20m closed down REALLY early. As a result, my score
was way down from last year.
After the first 3 hours I had only 89 QSOs in the log. Yuck! Despite the fact
that I was using 1500w and stacked Yagis, I often felt like I was back at the
helm of my first contest station (no amp, TS-140, G5RV, and CB vertical) trying
desperately to make my signal audible. Good close-in propagation in EU made it
hard to break through the pile ups and even when I got a good run going, it
seemed like the frequency never lasted long.
After 20m closed to EU and I had worked all of the Pacific stations on the
bands, I decided to take a 1.5 hour nap. When I woke up, the bands were 100%
barren. Rather than enduring the pain, I decided to take the rest of the contest
off and catch up on sleep. Had I operated the whole thing, I would have done
slightly better, but I don't think that it would have changed my final standing
much if at all.
But regardless, I managed to get three new all-time DXCC entities (GD, A3, and
OX) and a fair number of new IOTAs as well.
My Dad, N3FX, who is also an IOTA chaser and an occasional IOTA contest
participant, has suggested that the RSGB modify the rules so that only QSOs with
IOTA stations would be valid for this contest. In other words, one or more of
the stations involved in a contact must be on an IOTA. I disagree. I think this
would discourage participation and even more pertinent, its not possible to do
well in this contest without maximizing IOTA QSOs.
It?s refreshing to have a contest where a station in TT, YA, TZ, TL, JT, or Z2
is worth 3 QSO points and can never be a multiplier, but a station in EI, JA, G,
VK, or ZL is worth 15 QSO points and is a multiplier on each band.
On that note, however, I find it odd that logging software only shows you your
QSO rate, not your *QSO point* rate. Sure, how fast I?m working stations is nice
to know, but especially in contests like IOTA, such a measure does not directly
translate into how fast one?s score is going up. A 100 hour where only 10% of
the stations are IOTAs is worth only 420 points, but that same 100 hour with 25%
IOTA QSOs is worth 600 points! Quite a difference! Makers of logging software
take note!
Overall, it was a fun contest. Big thanks to John, N3HBX, and his XYL for their
hospitality and for the privilege of being able to operate at their fine QTH.
73!
Nat WZ3AR
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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