ARRL DX Contest, CW
Call: WX3B
Operator(s): WX3B
Station: WX3B
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: MD
Operating Time (hrs): 16:22
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 88 54
80: 100 67
40: 55 54
20: 551 85
15: 330 80
10: 244 67
-------------------
Total: 1368 407 Total Score = 1,669,107
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
Talk about bad timing - got really sick with a bad cold starting Sunday night
before my scheduled vacation to Costa Rica with team TI5W. Re-scheduled my
flight to depart Thursday. Cancelled that flight due to continued illness, and
didn't have much interest in the radio...until I heard the STELLAR band
conditions on 80 & 160 Friday night.
After a few spirited hours of operation I resumed my periodic alternation
between bed and watching TV....something I've become quite good at in the past
6 days.
Saturday at 4:00am, can't sleep...tired of watching Chuck Norris commercials
for the Total Gym on TV...I know, I'll pretend I'm at W3LPL like old times and
sit and CQ to open 20 meters!!
20 meters: OPENS EARLY and with what must have been high arrival angles,
because I had a solid band opening starting at 10:26zulu when DL1A called in.
According to N1MM, I had a 60 minute period of this run that accumulated 196
QSOs - great way to start the contest - what a THRILL!!
Well, after that 90 minute burst, time for a long nap, and pretty much off the
air until late afternoon on 15 meters, and a spin through 20, and no low bands
at all Saturday night.
5:30am Sunday morning, gonna catch the beginning of 15...few callers, even at
6:00am nothing much going on, I see 20 is BOOMING...sticking with
15...until...can't take it - back to 20! Instant pileup, but after 30 great
minutes I divert to a very open 10 meters and sink my teeth into that band.
Nice SURPRISE to hear 10 wide open. Stuck with 10 for a couple hours of good
propagation and ramped up the multiplier total quickly to 67 countries.
Finally settled into 15 later in the morning and was thrilled with the activity
and signal strengths. Nice solid SWR on that band since pouring a few buckets
of water out of a hardline connector and balun.
Back to 20, my favorite band of the contest and the band noise has risen, and
signals sound a little watery. Good pace, however not quite as productive as I
normally expect in the afternoons. Big Gun JA signals are down at least
20db...and only the KW boys are calling in. Noticed A & K index are higher and
that makes sense.
A great 16 hour event considering my state of mind and cold, which still has
several more days to go before working its way out of my system.
My hat is off to team TI5W who had an incredible score (anxiously awaiting
details) with 3 operators performing a full time M/2 (N3KS, NI1N and KL9A).
Looking forward to an array of contests now: next weekend we try our hand at
160 from my station as a M/S entry....followed by participation at W3LPL for
ARRL DX SSB...followed by WPX SSB back at WX3B.
73 and best of health to all!
Jim WX3B
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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