CQWW WPX Contest, CW
Call: AB1J
Operator(s): AB1J
Station: AB1J
Class: SO(A)SB80(TS) LP
QTH: Waltham MA
Operating Time (hrs): 16:15
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 210
40:
20:
15:
10:
------------
Total: 210 Prefixes = 157 Total Score = 71,749
Club:
Comments:
This was a hard travelin' weekend. I did 80m because no one in W1 had ever
submitted an Assisted low power 80m log. I found out why.
Conditions were low normal and other places were plagued with noise. After an
unsuccessful attempt to QSO an Italian station, he sent SRI QRN so I took a
look at the real-time lightning site http://www.blitzortung.org/Webpages/
There were lots of storms in Europe; Corsica was buried.
I had trouble working Europeans but there were lots of USA prefixes available.
The left coast was about as difficult to work as Europe. When things got too
slow, I'd pop up to listen on 40m and was amazed how loud the DX signals were
there. Armchair copy. And about five times as many stations. Then it was back
into the pit.
I know my signal was weak for many of the stations I worked and they struggled
with me. It was like me trying to work QRP stations. Sometimes we couldn't
connect the dots, but the propagation just wasn't there, in addition to
T-storms around the globe. This is a summertime contest with all the charms
thereof.
Some stats: 81% S&P, 19% running. Thanks to those who answered my CQs.
I recently started using the HamCAP-IonoProbe-DX Atlas-ViewProp suite of
propagation and activity display tools. I set it up for 80m and could always
see what was going on at my QTH. While this visual info wasn't essential, I
enjoyed having it. They say a picture is worth a whole mess of words. Guess
so.
One thing I remember from previous nighttime WPX-CW operations is the birds
start singing about 03:30am local time. It's still dark then so I thought they
were jumping the gun but I paid closer attention this year (using DX Atlas and
ViewProp) and found they fire up EXACTLY when the leading edge of the morning
gray line zone hits my QTH, about 03:40am this weekend. At the very first
glimmer of eastern light they start defending their territories. It a warning
that I soon need to go out back and take down the conspicuous pole propping up
the far end of my antenna before the neighbors wake up and see it. This time
of year the pole goes up at 9pm and down at 4am. Everything works better when
the pole's in place but I only get about 7 hours use from it at the end of
May.
Thanks for the QSOs.
73,
Ken, AB1J
FT-2000 N1MM+ Vintage 1942 analog wetware 1.0; only downgrades are
available
1/4 wave wire out the window and down the hill with an indoor counterpoise
meandering around the upstairs of my house, tuned with an old DenTron manual
transmatch at the other side of the room. Yeah, I know. If I could be
convicted for violating antenna design rules, I'd be serving life + 99.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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