CQ Worldwide VHF Contest
Call: NV4B/5
Operator(s): NV4B
Station: NV4B/5
Class: Hilltopper QRP
QTH: MS
Operating Time (hrs): 6
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 35 18
2: 8 7
-------------------
Total: 43 25 Total Score = 1,275
Club: Alabama Contest Group
Comments:
I operated from Woodall Mountain, Mississippi's highest point as NV4B/5. This
was my seventh VHF contest from Woodall and second CQWW VHF.
The Hilltopper category requires some strategizing -- not to mention a lot of
luck -- due to the six-hour time limit. I watched the weather and DXMAPS
closely Saturday and decided to wait until Sunday. This turned out to be a
good decision in multiple ways.
I got QRV around 1240Z, and after finding fellow ACG member AB4B on 6m CW,
worked KY4MRG in EM77 for my first-ever QSO with KY on 2 meters. I went on to
work IL, TN, GA, AL, and my best 2m DX, K5QE in TX (EM31). I later briefly
heard a station in OH (EM79), but only got one call in before he disappeared.
The first two and a half hours were very slow on 6m. I did hear EA8DBM around
1320Z with an S5 signal, but it wasn't enough for my 10 watts to be heard. I
called CQ around 1450Z and managed to stir up AA5B in DM64. This would be the
only sporadic-E QSO I made with a U.S. state other than Florida.
I then went almost an hour and a half without a single QSO until I found and
worked a loud ZF1EJ at 1612Z. This would be my only DX QSO of the contest,
although I heard the aforementioned EA8, a couple of XEs, V31AE, and bursts of
a couple VE3s. There were numerous such short bursts, possibly MS, to various
areas, but none long or strong enough for a QRP QSO.
Finally, at 1655Z, the floodgates opened, and stations from Florida started
blasting in. The opening would last the remainder of my operating time and
netted me 11 grids on 6m, including relatively-close grids EM70, EM90, and the
ever-elusive EL79. I have to believe that if I had chosen to go back to
Hamilton, AL, where I operated in June, I would have missed some of these grids
by being too close. The opening was still ongoing as I had to pull the plug at
1841Z, but according to DXMAPS, it apparently didn't last much longer. In the
end, I was very pleased with my timing, even with the dead time early, because
I was able to take advantage of the 2m enhancement early and the sporadic-E
opening late.
The only significant disappointment in this one was local participation. I
missed several regulars, but then again, I only got a 6-hour window of the
contest, and that window included church and lunch times. I didn't even work
my own grid square or own state for that matter, although I did hear AF5FM
several times. I was also disappointed to miss EM63. The Birmingham area used
to have much more VHF contest participation, and it would be great to see that
come back. The ACG was well represented, however: I worked ACGers AB4B and
K4WI, and heard but did not work KR4F, N4NM, and N4OX. I know there were
others QRV.
It was fun, and I consider this operation a roaring success in light of my
previous best score in the Hilltopper category (32 points!).
6m: Yaesu FT-690RII @ 10W, 3 el at 7'
2m: Yaesu FT-817ND @ 2.5W + Ramsey PA-10 (modified, 10W linear out), 4 el at
10'
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|