WAE DX Contest, RTTY
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 19
Summary:
Band QSOs Pts QTCs Mults
------------------------------
80: 41 41 0 56
40: 140 160 20 120
20: 300 450 150 116
15: 30 30 0 26
10:
------------------------------
Total: 511 681 170 318 Total Score = 216,876
Club:
Comments:
Conditions should have been MUCH better on the low bands, with SFI=70, A=1 and
K=0 on Friday night. A respectable SFI=70/A=4/K=1 by Sunday afternoon.
Did better than I predicted and running HP sure did improve mult counts over
previous years, but I could have done far better if I'd gone after QTCs more
vigorously. Still, had a super time working everyone.
80M -- full-size delta loop
---------------------------
Friday night: The delta loop is either skunky, or 80M was dead as a post. S5
QRN (not power line) noise. In previous years, 100W did 10x as many Qs than I
could muster with 800W on Friday night.
Saturday night: at last, some east coast Qs. Ended up with more mults than last
year (more W/VE areas) but still down 13 Qs. Band just was not good.
40M -- phased verticals to EU, half-squares
-------------------------------------------
Friday night: 40M was terrific till about 0500z, then things went into the
tank. Was working EUs -- even took QTC from UW5Q with no problem on the
vertical array aimed at EU. Worked several EU mults I've not managed before in
WAE on 40M. Then nothing. Not east or west coast US. Just a flat band.
Saturday night: Much better rates. Including about 45 minutes on Sunday
afternoon, I ended up with nearly three times last year's Qs, and more than
double the mults. OH2FI called in Sunday p.m. for a great surprise. Also
managed to take a couple of QTC sets on 40M.
The 40M parasitic phased verticals for Europe seem to be working out all
right.
20M -- tribander at 45 feet
---------------------------
Friday night: 20M was pretty good into Asia for the first hour and a half.
9M6XRO had a big signal, and I worked a string of JAs till the band decided to
fold up. Hope to see Asia open like that on 20M and EU on 40M in CQWW CW. That
would boost my usually paltry mult count very nicely.
Saturday: EU opening was lousy and lasted less than an hour. Just a few worked.
As usual lately, the EU path pops on like a light, and goes out just about as
quickly. Opened at 1556Z with DP9A. Ended by 1715Z with DL2MWB. Nobody was very
loud.
Sunday: EU was open wide by the time I got on at 1530Z or so. Many huge
signals. Worked lots of 'em. Nice to hear Phil, GU0SUP again (haven't had the
path very often since early '07). I can tell when EU openings are closing up
because I begin to work W6 off the back. Happens every time -- EU rates fall,
W6 rolls in... the signal to start working US/VE for some rate. Moved on after
working 7W53N in Algeria at 1715Z or so. Light goes on. Light goes off.
15M -- tribander at 45 feet
---------------------------
Nothing much on 15M to write home about on Saturday -- just a few here and
there. But figuring I had worked a whole lot of US/VEs already on 20M, by
Sunday morning I spent a few hours just calling on 15M. Didn't come close to
last year's 62 Q for 44 mults, but at least felt I worked what was workable
this year with 30 Q for 26 mults. Most stations I did work were really loud!
The band was wide open to most of NA from here, but no one wants to look
northwest when they can look south and perhaps gather/send QTCs. Hey, that's
what I'd do too.
Murphy's Law
------------
On Saturday night I had been swapping feedlines to the main antenna switch to
use various 40M antennas. On Sunday morning I thought I was running with the
yagi on 20M. Half an hour later, wondering why signals didn't peak or fade as I
turned the tower, I realized I'd been using the ground-mounted all-band vertical
in the back yard. And working JA, OH, PY one after the other (not well, but
working 'em). What an idiot! At least I know the vertical can work as a
back-up, but heck, I could've been making some rate instead of one-a-minute for
30 minutes. Plugged in the correct coax (yes, it is labeled, but I didn't look
the first time I guess) and away I went, unsure which direction to work first
(JA, OH or PY?).
Used N1MM Logger -- great software! No problems at all with QTCs if time
started with 1 or 2, though time starting with 0 was an issue. Otherwise, very
FB!
QTC received: 120. QTC sent: 50. Should have done a LOT more, but with
intermittent 20M antenna trouble, I was very timid about sending traffic,
worried I'd drop out half way through.
Have confirmed an intermittent problem with the Mosley CL-33 tribander on 20M.
I don't see this on 15M, but on 20M when running more than 500W the SWR
sometimes rises (not to infinity, but to 3:1 or so)... Reduce power for a
while, or let it rest a few minutes and all is well again. At one point while
sending a set of QTCs to JA, the problem hit worse than ever around QTC: #7 --
SWR jumped up and output from the amp went to 1/4 what it should have been
(thank goodness the SB220 is built like a tank to take the abuse). Heat causing
a trap to flash over or otherwise short out? Wish it was predictable, but it's
quite random as I can go for a long time at high power without a problem, then
it hits. Only see it on 20M RTTY -- CW and SSB duty cycles don't seem to
trigger the problem.
I'll tip over the tower Monday (it's a really tense job and I hate it, but
beats climbing, hi) and have a look at the traps.
Year QSO QTC Mults Score
---------------------------------
2002: 251 40 186 54,126
2003: 113 109 120 26,640
2004: 311 117 198 84,744
2005: 452 159 259 158,249
2006: 431 70 218 93,958
2007: 511 170 318 216,876 <-- HP
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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