CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB
Call: 8R1EA
Operator(s): CRAIG, AH8DX
Station: 8R1EA
Class: SOSB/15 HP
QTH: Guyana
Operating Time (hrs): 28.5
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15: 4006 31 121
10:
------------------------------
Total: 4006 31 121 Total Score = 1,635,000
Club:
Comments:
Suitcase dxpedition station as always:
Elecraft K2/100 transceiver
Dentron MLA2500 1KW
Cushcraft A3S Fixed North @ 50'
Well what a test. It is 3 a.m. and I am headed back to the states from Guyana.
I found a wifi hotspot at the airport here in Guyana so I am submitting my
score.
The airlines now make it even more difficult to take a complete station on the
airline. They all seem to have reduced their weight limit to 50 pounds now
instead of 70. This means that I must pay excess luggage for that third bag. My
trip after all finished I will have payed US$450 in excess/overweight luggage.
Tried to hand out as many warc cw and rtty qso's before the test. I decided to
do a single band 15HP effort. This was based on not getting other antennas to
play properly so I picked a band that I could have fun with and still be fairly
competitive. I knew that 20 was going to be a zoo.
Europe for me opened fairly early on Saturday morning at about 6 a.m. local
time. Though my antenna was fixed north, the Cushcraft A3S seemed to play ok
since it was not that narrow; therefore I could work Europe and the States at
the same time. At just 50', I was amazed of the preformance. The band though
was strange. The EU sigs were there but I had to have the AF and RF gain on my
Elecraft K2 almost all the way cranked up. If I would have left the knobs at
the normal position, I could barely tell stations were there. The band was
noisy so I ran the NB in position 1 all weekend long. Thank goodness for that
NB in the K2; that saved me from the atmospheric crackling (sp).
Those sigs from EU would fade in and out. The sig would be there when they gave
their call. I gave the exchange but by the time they needed to confirm, I could
barfely hear them. Some contacts I would have to give uo because I just
couldn't make a full contact; that's how bad the QSB was and the QSB lasted all
weekend long. The afternoon Stateside runs experienced the same QSB. Very few
stations this weekend were a true 59. Most were 55 and many were just above the
noise.
Talking about frustrating. These conditions went on all weekend. the band on
Sunday opened up a little earlier but another problem arose. I was getting into
the neighbors tv, telephone and computer and the spoiled 28 yr old still living
with his mom next door wanted me to get off so that he could talk to his
girlfriend in VK land. One of those internet romances I guess. After letting
the phone ring for 45 minutes nonstop I decided to give him an hour to do all
of the talking over the internet he could do (AAARGH).
Zone and Country count done becuase the antenna was fixed north. 4000 qso's on
15 at the bottom of the cycle I guess isn't too bad. Time to go back to the
drawing board designing another suitcase station with the new airline
restrictions.
Next stop FS and PJ7. Please look for me next month signing FS/AH8DX.
Later,
Craig, AH8DX & 8R1EA
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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