BARTG RTTY Sprint
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: Single Op HP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 9
Summary:
Band QSOs Pts
-----------------
80: 58 58
40: 30 30
20: 199 199
15: 12 12
10:
-----------------
Total: 299 299 Mults = 58 Total Score = 104,052
Club:
Comments:
* FT920 + SB221 @650W
* 3 ele tribander @ 45'
* Vertical on 40M
* Inverted-L on 80M
* Outstanding N1MM Logger + MMTTY
Woke up after a late and difficult night on CQWW 160M and realized BARTG Sprint
was on. I had plans to spend the day rebuilding my wire antennas, but cancelled
that when I saw the temperature at -7 C (and saw an alternative activity).
Braved the cold long enough
to crank up the tower and got on around 1600z (8 a.m. Pacific time). Some
scratchy EU on 20M and lots of NA activity. Flipped on the newly acquired SB221
and threw out a CQ or two. Got the amp specifically for tests like this, which
have no official low-power category, and I'm glad I did. More stations in the
log makes for exponentially more fun.
First Q was with Phil GU0SUP -- took a few repeats as the band wasn't yet very
strong, but got him in the log. 20M really pulled together in the next half
hour. Running with some power was great (after years of LP) and I had more fun
than I have ever had in a contest, working GU, 9A, LY, DL, OK, I, G, HA, SP,
LZ, LX, GM, ON, UR, F, UA, and OH in the first several minutes.
Had EU and NA in the bag right away. Africa is always the hardest to work from
here, and I wanted to get past that hurdle quickly so moved the beam slightly
further E.
Found CN8SG's big signal just after 1800z, then five minutes later saw an FR on
the screen -- weak until I realized Axel FR5GS is at 10 degrees from here, not
50 like CN8. Turned the beam and got through first call. Working Reunion is
always a thrill and only happens every couple of years when conditions are just
right. It's about as far away as you can get from this QTH.
Three continents put away. EU faded away very quickly after 1815z. Worked W/VEs
for the next 1.5 hours -- waiting for the Pacific to open up. Figured South
America would come along when I concentrated on W/VE stations later in the day.
Around 1930z, prop guide said Oceania would be workable, so I went to work in
that direction. Worked KH6GMP for continent 4.
Wasn't until 2220z that I worked my first Asian station, JA off the back of the
beam while working the midwest. Five continents. SA would happen naturally, I
assumed. It usually does, as LU and PY ops offer big signals all the time here
on 20 and 15M.
Went to 15M to see what was happening. Only 12 Qs there, all W/VE3s. No SA at
all. Hmmm. Went back to 20 and tried to find SA stations. None heard. Prop
guide said the band had now shifted well west of SA and I was losing hope.
Thank you to ZL2AMI who called in off the side of the beam for a nice surprise
mult.
I had to leave at 0100z to take my goaltender son to his hockey game in another
town, and I was desperate to get that sixth continent in the log. At 0000z I
called CQ on a dying 20M band, pointing 150 degrees so I could hear something
other than the loud powerline noise at 90 degrees. A few Ws called in, but the
band was pretty much gone. Fifteen minutes of plaintive bleating into a dead
band worked. LU5OM heard me, and SA was in the log. Dead bands are never quite
dead.
Left for the hockey game, and on the way home picked up the wire rope I need to
reconstruct all the high wire antenna supports over the next few weeks. Activity
was on 80M when I got home. Felt strong there, and finished up with 58 Qs in
just over an hour
before calling it a night at 0354z, on QSO #300.
Year QSOs Mult Score
-------------------------------
2007 299 58 104,052 (6 continents)
2006 288 55 77,760 (6 continents)
2005 290 43 62,350 (5 continents)
2003 113 28 15,820 (5 continents)
By this time next year, hope to see some 10M action. Looking forward to it
already.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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