ARRL DX Contest, CW
Call: 6Y2T
Operator(s): VE3DZ
Station: 6Y5WJ
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Jamaica (south side)
Operating Time (hrs): 46.5
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 525 58
80: 927 58
40: 1139 58
20: 1201 59
15: 1322 59
10: 1326 59
-------------------
Total: 6440 351 Total Score = 6,781,320
Club: Contest Club Ontario
Comments:
Main radio: Kenwood TS590 + Kenwood TL-922 (at 600...700 watts).
Second radio: YAESU FT1000MP Mark V (200 watts) barefoot.
Antennas: 2 el. Quad for 10...20 m, vertical for 40 m, Dipole for 80 m and
Inverted L for 160 m. A set of vertical dipoles for 10/15/20 (for the second
radio).
Biggest improvements compared to last year:
1) Bottom loaded short 160 m vertical was moved uphill and became a full-sized
"Inverted L" with vertical section eing 65 feet. Two beverages (towards EU and
U.S.) helped big time on 160, 80 and even on 40. (tnx 6Y5WJ, VE3NZ, VE3NE);
2) Second radio now is a 200 watts FT1000MP Mark V;
3) Line noise is gone;
4) Simple, but yet relatively effective 2nd radio antenna - vertical dipoles
for 20, 15 and 10 fed with single coax some 200 feet away from the main antenna
(tnx 6Y5WJ and VE3DZ).
Problems this year:
1) Not enough sleep before the contest (as usual);
2) N1MM does not support PTT on a second radio via CAT, so, not having a Winkey
this time I had to sacrifice CAT on a second radio in favour of PTT/CW. In the
other words I had to swich BAND manually in N1MM and on the 2nd radio;
3) N1MM and my laptop would sometimes send broken CW - could not find a reason
and therefore could not fix it, so I apologize for sometimes "not clean" CW
sendings;
4) Not enough power for the 2nd radio (only 200 watts);
5) No 160 and 80 m on a second radio.
Contest started for me on 15 meters where I could not get rid of the JA's
pile-up for good 15 first minutes (I was running JA's before the Contest).
The conditions were pretty good, but I could not achieve my goal of 1000 Q's in
the first 5 hours (something I've done for the last few years in this Contest).
I was some 100 Q's short.
Anyway, by the mid-contest mark I was way over 3900 Q's and hoping for the good
finish. However, fatigue took over and I was fighting sleepiness for many
hours... I did not fall asleep on a keyboard this time, but I would send and
exchange and then would find myself in some kind of a "coma" after a minute or
two, having not typed the reply exchange into computer...
I even took a short half-of-an-hour nap, and thanks to Josh for waking me up
exactly in 30 minutes.
In the early Sunday morning hours I just could not get it going - jumping
between 40, 20, 15 and 10 and making only 70-80 an hour...
For those who might have heard me "on two bands at the same time" - I was doing
a lot of Dual CQ'ing (tnx N1MM logger).
Last two hours on 20 m were terrific, with 200+ each hour which kind of helped
me to "save face".
Thanks to all who moved for me. I recall N8HM who gave me DC on three bands,
but did not have antenna for lower bands, some VE4, VE5, OK, MS, ND and SD
stations who moved for me. I recall having QSO on 40n with KD4POJ (ND) who then
graciously agrees to QSY and give me my last multiplier on 160.
Thanks again for all the contacts! I expect some big scores coming from ZF2AM
and TO7X.
Special thanks to Josh (6Y5WJ) for letting me use his station and to his lovely
wife Jenny for taking a good care of me.
73 Yuri VE3DZ
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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