CQWW WPX Contest, SSB
Call: EA5DFV
Operator(s): EA5DFV, EA5CLH, FRAN, EA5ON
Station: EA5DFV
Class: M/2 HP
QTH: Pedreguer
Operating Time (hrs):
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 15
80: 456
40: 563
20: 1552
15: 400
10: 0
------------
Total: 2986 Prefixes = 973 Total Score = 6,711,754
Club:
Comments:
This is what EA8ZS would describe as a Paella contest!
Our host EA5DFV was invited way back when by EA3QP to form part of the ED3SSB
?experience? but since he failed the entry exam, he had to stay home. (That?s a
lie, Jose Miguel is still recovering from a broken leg so couldn?t travel). So,
on the Tuesday when he finally got the thumbs down from the doctor, he started
putting out the feelers for hired guns. I was eager to be on the list, and since
my original plan to operate at EA5DF had fallen through, put in my application
for the 24h slot that my wife considered appropriate (!) Victor EA5KV was unable
to come, since this month he?d already put in a good effort in the Russian
contest and the ARRL. Also we were unable to locate Jose María EC5CPL, later it
transpired he was in Holland. Also EA5KY was just back from his TZ6MEL operation
and not in the mood for contesting. And Esteban EA5FY was in Dallas. So in the
end it was Jose Miguel as full time op, and Pasqual EA5CLH, newly-licenced Fran,
and your author EA5ON as part-timers.
Then, station considerations: The main shack hardware for the run station was
fine, but the Icom 781 at station 2 was on the blink, and the backup TS850 also.
Thankfully the 850 problem turned out to be low voltage in the PSU and a quick
fix was available. Antenna wise, neither of the 4 element monobanders for 10 and
20 were available, and the 15m 6 ele monobander is fixed on the US, meaning that
during the mornings, we had only one antenna for working 40, 20, 15, and 10. Can
you say leisurely breakfast, folks?
Given these limitations, most people would have opted at most for a
multi-single, but being ever adventurous, we decided that a multi-2 would be
just fine!
As an anecdote, EA3QP had been asking about how we organise the operating rotas
at EA5DFV. The answer is simple: when someone gets tired, they take off the
headset and pass it to whoever is dozing on the sofa or reading back numbers of
the NCJ?.We?ve been doing this for years and it seems to work just fine.
Unfortunately this year, there were few moments for dozing and even fewer
moments for reading. Also this year we had a novel anti dozing-at-the-rig
device. It transpires that Jose Miguel has done a complete shack move, whereby
his daughter moved into the radio shack and so an adjacent upstairs sun terrace
was covered over to house the shack. However as those of you who have terraces
know, these have a drain in the centre and the floor is on a slope to enable
proper drainage. This means that if you put a chair with wheels at the rig, as
soon as you doze, the chair starts rolling back and when the headset gets yanked
off, you wake up with a start. A sure way to keep your 40m run frequency!
These considerations apart, we had a great time. It was nice to have a youngster
in the shack again, young Fran has his diploma but since Spain is Different, he
can?t get a licence because the insurance at his family home is in his parent?s
name (yes, really). So he was keen to come and operate with us and did a
sterling job, proving to be a good low band slogger along with Pasqual, whilst
Jose Miguel and myself are more comfortable doing running, thus making a nicely
compatible group. No contacts on 10 at all but we weren?t really that concerned
since it was pretty clear from the start that 40 was going to be the points band
and 20 the multiplier band. Wouldn?t like to do CQWW with these antenna
restrictions though.
My thanks to José Miguel and María Teresa for their generosity and hospitality,
it really is a pleasure to operate a great station with great people.
73 de Duncan EA5ON on behalf of the EA5DFV team.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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