RSGB Commonwealth Contest, CW
Call: ZL2BSJ
Operator(s): ZL2BSJ
Station: ZL2BSJ
Class: Open HP
QTH: Martinborough
Operating Time (hrs): 21.5
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
80: 34
40: 183
20: 122
15: 13
10: 3
------------
Total: 355 Total Score = 4,435
Club:
Comments:
Not having worked (nor even heard) any southern/central Africa in contests in
recent years, I thought I was hallucinating when 7Q7BT called. Other new ones
for me: V2, J8 and VP8 (2x).
It is surprising what can be worked in this contest with just a trapped,
vertical, without the presence of an EU or NA wall. In the CQWW-CW for example,
most of the Caribbean is firmly in the RX-ony basket.
In contrast to the exotic DX, things were a bit slow during Sunday, with
everything on 20 m worked, and 15 and 10 closing almost as quickly as they
had opened, except for the VE7 boys in BC and E51PJT, who were good copy on 15
m for hours. Maybe those with directional antennas had more joy on the
higher-frequency bands; I rotated around 20/15/10 during the day, mixing CQs
with band searches and worked the VKs and ZLs. No workable Asia. Thank goodness
for night-time 40 and 80 m (never mind the summertime static).
My impression is that condx were better at the start of the contest. A few
hours before the start, G4BUO peaked with an impressive S-9 on the 80 m long
path. On Sunday evening, the ionospheric pitch had lost some bounce and
G4BUO and G3BJ's 80 m LP signals were well down to 559.
I went QRT an hour early after everything had been worked dry and the rate was
down to 2/hr. Many thanks to Chris ZL2DX for providing asylum and for
re-organising the shack to fit me and my toys in.
Equipment used: IC725, IC746PRO (2nd night), amplifier and 5BTV ground-mounted
vertical (all bands)
Wilbert, ZL2BSJ
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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