JARTS WW RTTY Contest
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 22.5
Summary:
Band QSOs Pts Mults
-------------------------
80: 96 195 16
40: 139 296 28
20: 350 887 75
15: 90 193 23
10:
-------------------------
Total: 675 1571 142 Total Score = 223,082
Club: British Columbia DX Club
Comments:
* FT-2000 and SB221
* N1MM Logger + MMTTY
* CL33 @ 45'
* 40M 2-el. EU/ZL vertical array, elevated
* 40M 2-el. AS/NA half-square array
* 80M 2-el. AS/NA vertical array, elevated
Opened with SFI = 70 | A=4 | K=1
Closed with SFI = 70 | A=6 | K=3
We even had two sunspot groups as the contest opened on Friday evening. One was
almost faded out and the other disappeared around the bend, but they both helped
keep the SFI in the 70 range, though it dipped to 69 for a while Sunday. Stay
tuned for more :)
Gotta credit this slight improvement in flux for Sunday's strong 15M opening
across NA. Was shocked to work 90 stations -- far, far better than last year.
Don't know why, but Saturday was really poor on 15M here -- only worked three
stations, though on the DX cluster I could see others (VE7CC for example)
finding action even from B.C. Speaking of VE7, I sure noticed lots of us out
there this weekend -- Lee VE7CC, Jack VE7CF, Koji VA7KO, Les VA7RN, Irek VA7RY,
and Ross VA7RME. Should have been an easy mult this year.
Had a fantastic time and, with 22.5 hours in the chair, invested more time than
usual as it seemed there was always some place open and stations to work.
15M -- worked only 1 JA and that was off the back of the beam on Saturday
afternoon. Things got cooking on Sunday morning at 1830Z or so and were strong
to US/VE until 2100Z. (I went back to 15M at 2200Z to search for Japan. Found a
bunch more SA mults to work, including CX3CCC, PX2T, HC5WW, but no JAs).
20M -- Hit the band at the 0000Z opening bell but went to 40M at 0109Z and
never returned that night. After hitting the sack at 1100Z, I got back on at
1554z to find a gargantuan (i.e. huge) 20M EU opening Saturday morning. Had to
QRT at 1650Z to take the car in for its scheduled service... back on at 1810z
but the opening had died down.
On Sunday morning, I was on at 1545Z and while EU was strong again, the opening
didn't feel quite as awesome as Saturday's main event. Still, worked LOTS of
Europeans before things over the pole got sloppy shortly after 1800Z.
40M -- strange conditions Friday night. I can switch the half-square array to
fire east or west, and on Friday night I couldn't tell the difference in
signals. Saturday things were back to normal, but it sure was odd to have
virtually no F/B that evening. Also, the 2-element verticals aimed at EU had
extremely high noise, though switched to the opposite direction (aiming SW)
they were quiet. Don't know if it's the antennas or conditions. Anyone out west
hear much from Europe on 40M this weekend?
80M -- just love the 2-element wire vertical array. Love them even more now
that I have a useful receive antenna (a wide-patterned bidirectional 270-ft
Beverage pointed due east). Worked a few JAs in the early mornings, but not a
lot out of the Pacific this weekend. Somewhat improved performance on 80M this
year, vs. using the single delta loop previously.
Kept track of the overall pace vs. last year, and found myself ahead by an hour
or so until Sunday, when 15M made a huge difference in activity -- lots of new
stations to work. Ended up with 162 more Qs than last year, thanks to great 15M
and 80M performance, countries up by 8 and sections up by 17.
This personal-best JARTS QSO-count beats 2005 by a couple (though '05 was a LP
effort). Mults were a bit shy so didn't top the 2005 best score. Next year,
with some sunspots, we'll have 10M in the mix, perhaps, and a few additional
multipliers to count.
Band QSOs Pts Cty Sec
2008 80M 96 195 2 14
2007 66 132 1 14
2008 40M 139 296 7 21
2007 128 266 8 18
2008 20M 350 887 49 26
2007 316 811 50 23
2008 15M 90 193 9 14
2007 3 6 0 3
2008 Total 675 1571 67 75 223,082
2007 513 1215 59 58 142,155
---- ----- --- --- --------
Change +162 + 356 + 8 +17 + 80,927
Year-over-year comparison
Year QSOs Pts. Mults Score
-------------------------------------
2008 675 1571 142 223,082 (HP)
2007 513 1215 117 142,155 (HP)
2006 412 920 103 94,760
2005 673 1578 154 243,012
2004 586 1428 156 222,768
2003 114 -- 46 12,926
2002 321 785 119 93,415
One of many highlights was working VE4AHZ for the VE4 mult on 40M on Sunday
afternoon -- with Ed VE4EAR not in the contest, AHZ was my only Manitoba mult
all weekend. Hope you also worked him. I was spotted by VE4COZ on 40M early
Friday night and got all excited (i.e. hoping to work him) until I remembered
VE4COZ is also VA7RY -- Irek, a master RTTY op, is about 15 miles away, hi.
Youngest worked was PU5OGE at 16. Most senior was N8GZ at 90 (licensed at 14 in
1933). Jack VE4AHZ was second-most-senior at 85. Sure noticed the bulge of 60s,
and thin supply of 49-and-unders. I kept thinking how quiet the bands will be
by the time I'm AARP material in a couple of decades or less. I'll just contest
like crazy and enjoy the pleasure of working all you great "oldies" while we're
all here, living the good old days right now.
So, now we get into the really heavy-duty stuff -- CQWW SSB next weekend,
followed by a pair of Sweepstakes, and then my all-time fave at the end of
November: CQWW CW. Got the antennas right where I want 'em (in the air) and
ready to go. Remember to look northwest. I'll be there.
73 and thanks for all the fun!
-- Bud VA7ST
http://www3.telus.net/va7st
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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