CQWW WPX Contest, SSB
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 18
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 78
40: 78
20: 362
15: 1
10:
------------
Total: 519 Prefixes = 294 Total Score = 429,534
Club: British Columbia DX Club
Comments:
* FT-2000 and SB-221
* N1MM Logger (unassisted))
* 3 ele. trapped tribander at 45'
* 40M -- twin half-square array E-W
* 40M -- twin vertical array N-S, hardly used
* 80M -- twin vertical array E-W
SFI = 71 A = 3 K = 1
Goals were 1,000 Qs and 500 WPX. A severe cold all week wiped out any hope of
doing much heavy-duty competition this weekend. Spent most of both days either
sleeping, coughing or talking with clogged pipes.
Somehow, I managed 18 hours on. Was on for 30 minutes at the start, then had to
head in to work for the evening and didn't get back on until 0430z. Just didn't
get into the swing of things after that.
Congratulations to Ed VE4EAR who did a great job from start to finish. He had a
really super score -- hope he cracked 2M at the end, as I was cheering for him
watching Livescores.
Was definitely handicapped by the trapped CW tribander's narrow bandwidth on
20M. Couldn't do much above 14.170 so stayed as low as possible. Migrated
higher to pounce when necessary, but the antenna's a lame dog up high and I
found myself calling many times to be heard while the SWR needle thrummed
against the peg (the old amp loafs long and doesn't care, but I don't want to
torch the antenna, hi).
Conditions out west felt really bad again. Europe on 20M was poor on Saturday
(1600z), and on Sunday I was able to work mostly just big guns I'd missed the
first morning -- no second layer of stations heard. Could have worked many more
mults if I had the ability to flip back and forth from JA and US both
afternoons, but had to choose one direction at a time and never felt I was
aiming where the max points were.
40M was not strong at all; no matter how hard I tried just couldn't get out.
The half-square array works well on the long hauls E and W, but not for the
short hauls. I got killed on 40M this time out, again. Also need something that
can point at Europe when it's open.
80M seemed OK but the Qs weren't there. Was too sick all week to get out and
reset the verticals for phone so ran mostly around 3700 when I could, but
without adjusting the elements I think the gain falls off rather quickly above
3600.
Best hours were the final two on 20M with 40 and 47 -- not even good rate for
RTTY :) There's always next time, and I'm counting on it. Had fun in rough
conditions.
-- Bud VA7ST
QSOs Pts WPX Score (claimed)
2009 519 1461 294 429,534 SOAB HP
2008 943 2668 408 1,088,544 SOAB HP
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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