CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: SOAB LP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 30.75
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 6 2 2
80: 216 11 16
40: 214 13 22
20: 393 24 60
15: 369 18 27
10: 223 11 19
------------------------------
Total: 1421 79 146 Total Score = 697,500
Club:
Comments:
* FT920 (100w)
* CL33 tribander @ 45'
* 2 full-wave delta loops 80M (aimed E-W)
* 1 full-wave delta loop 40M (E-W)
* N1MM v. 4.0.179
Quick notes:
* Goals: 200 Qs on 5 bands, 1,000 total, 500,000K
* Conditions were so-so till Sunday afternoon
* My first-ever 5-QSO minute
* My first-ever 100-Q hour (four times)
* Broke 1000 Qs for first time
* Almost 400 on 20M!
* 30 dupes (bad condx first time around?)
* New ones on CW: 8V, VU2
Let's to it again!
THAT was a GREAT weekend. Conditions were not all that good here for most of the
two days, but when the bands opened up they were generous. At various times,
there was huge noise, flutter, Au buzzing on signals, rapid fading, and
generally mushy signals. But at other times, especially Sunday afternoon, the
bands were marvellous -- heard Tanzania and Zambia but couldn't break the
dogpiles. Same for a few other rarer countries and zones.
Was tempted a few times to fire up the telnet spotting module in N1MM, just to
fill in the empty bandmaps. Resisted the temptation, and filled up the bandmaps
myself as I went along. For S&P, the software's easy visual cues as to which
signal belongs to needed or worked stations really saves time, especially for SO
unassisted.
I almost gave up a few hours in on Friday night when I heard hundreds of
stations on 40M but couldn't work many with the new full-wave delta loop, the
vertical, or the G5RV -- none of them were getting out for some reason. Stayed
in the chair and went to 80M, which didn't offer up much either. Glad I stayed,
though. As the evening wore on, I ended up with a nice 80M run (0800z-0930z,
114Q).
Had to listen twice to believe JA3YBK's big signal on 80M Friday night. Rarely
work JA on 80, but by the end of the weekend I had several in the log. Thanks to
Jim VE7FO for the Canada mult on 80... always nice to swap 0-pointers when
there's a multiplier at stake. Also thanks to VE7GL for Canada on 160M (tuned up
the 80M loop for my 6 contacts as I never did get the 160M inverted-L in the
air).
Opened up on 10M Saturday morning, with my biggest frantic run of 128Qs in 64
minutes. That was a blast. Noisy band on the yagi, though.
Saturday afternoon, I went out and reconfigured the 40M delta -- lowered it so
the bottom wire was 8' high, vs. the previous 25', and turned it a bit to the
S-E. A stolen hour invested in antenna work to make the long night ahead more
fun.
It worked like a charm. My 40M total rose from 70Qs to 214... most ever on that
band. Passed my previous best-ever 2003 Q and point totals at 1015z (2:15 a.m.
Pacific) Sunday morning, moving into uncharted territory for me by going above
865 QSOs.
I had fun on 80M where I am using a pair of giant delta loops spaced about 40ft
apart on a rope at 80'. Discovered that if I shorted the end of the West loop's
in-shack coax connector, on the East loop I could work stateside quite well, and
when I left the coax cable unshorted I was working JA and the Pacific more
often. With this realization that the reflector mode was actually working a bit,
I think I bought myself quite a few extra DX Qs. It'll make 80M more fun this
winter.
By 1913z Sunday I worked PJ2T on 15M for QSO #1000. At 2022z, just over an hour
later, I hit 1100 Qs and 500,000 points. Two hours later, I was at 1300 Qs and
600,000 points and just an hour left in the contest.
20M on Sunday afternoon was especially hot, with most of the world open at the
same time here (OH, TF, YV, JA, etc., all with huge signals). I intentionally
left 20M somewhat under-used till now, knowing that's where the action would be
in the last couple of hours. Walked along the band picking up about 20 new mults
before settling in to call CQ in the final hour.
My final run on 20M in that last hour was the biggest clock-hour of the weekend
(115 stations including EU, NA, SA with the beam pointed due south 180 degs. to
keep the noise out.) Sure have to thank all the guys (and gals?) who called me
whenever I put out the call -- you have lots of patience, and my gratitude.
QSOs Ctry Zones Score
2002 675 147 63 313,740
2003 865 115 73 351,936
2004 1,421 146 79 697,500
What will I do next time? Well, last year I vowed to pay more attention to mults
and I did this time out. Still, need to work on antennas for EU on 40M. Sooner
or later, I'll try a rotatable 40M dipole (loading the yagi boom) and see how
that works. Will definitely hang the 160M inverted-L (80' vertical, 50'
horizontal) as I heard many stations up there both nights, but couldn't work
'em.
Must figure out why I continue to lag in the country count in general. I worked
a lot of the countries I could hear on 20/15/10 but quite a few others didn't
hear me so the mult total is still far too low. A 3-el at 45' may not be enough
from this part of the black hole, but other than an extra 10' AGL, it's my max
configuration for the foreseeable future. I'm very happy with the quantum leap
in performance I have already enjoyed with the new location and antennas, and
will sqeeze everything I can out of it all. Because I continue to avoid an amp,
I'll just whine and snivel a bit when condx are lousy, hi.
Noticed this weekend that something is causing very big noise out of the
northeast here, affecting the high bands. Very low noise with the tribander
aimed due north or south, but turn the beam further east than 35 deg. through
150 deg., and the noise goes to S-7 or more -- just couldn't hear many stations
through it. At first I thought it was because I was looking into the sun, but it
lasted all day. Ended up listening on VFO-B (tracking VFO-A) using one of the
delta loops, and transmitting with the tribander. It may be local noise, perhaps
a commercial greenhouse in the valley below me running noisy lights getting Xmas
poinsettias ready for sale. Hope it goes away.
If you tried to work me and I seemed a little hard of hearing at times, that was
the reason. Sorry -- and thanks for trying. Poinsettias are poisonous... there
ought to be a law.
Deadly holiday-type plants aside, with nearly doubled QSOs and claimed score
this year, I feel super about the contest. Broke my 1,000 Q and 500,000 point
goals and that makes me happy. The mini-pileups were great fun. Hearing 10
calling stations on EXACTLY the same frequency, and picking one to answer was a
welcome challenge, but I probably didn't sound like I was president of the S--t
Hot Op Club. Looking forward to getting better with fewer mistakes.
All the best and see everyone in the next one!
73, Bud VA7ST
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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