CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW - 2019
Call: W6YX
Operator(s): N7MH
Station: W6YX
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Stanford
Operating Time (hrs): 39
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 7 5 5
80: 285 23 45
40: 750 33 98
20: 782 34 97
15: 188 20 49
10: 39 9 16
------------------------------
Total: 2051 124 310 Total Score = 2,373,980
Club: Northern California Contest Club
Comments:
Our 160 antenna was unusable so I considered doing a single-band effort, but
decided that I could try low power on 160 using the K3 ATU with one of our 80
inverted vees.
First hour was 178 Qs, 139 on 20 and 39 on 15, 2BSIQ. Last year as SOSB20 HP I
did 138 in the first hour, so almost the same result on 20 but the interleaved
Qs on 15 helped. If 15 had not been shutting down, a 200+ or even mid-200's hour
might have been possible.
>From there it was all downhill ratewise. I probably tried 2BSIQ too much given
that I wasn't getting enough answers to my CQs on even one band, much less on
two. My mult totals might have been improved if I'd done a bit more S&P.
First evening observations:
10 was open to LU, worked two in 0100 hour
15 closed too early
20 closed too early, no EU opening
EU was weak on 40, mostly not hearing me, good to zones 6-13, JA open early
80 was very good, worked more EU there than on 40, early JA opening
160 100 W to 80 inv. vee produced K, KH6, KL, VE, XE; zones 1, 3, 4, 6, 31
I slept for just under 2 hours, 1200-1400ish. The LP opening on 40 to EU was
quite good but some stations just CQed in my face (4O3A for one). I tuned 80 for
any LP but didn't find any. I was so excited about working EU mults on 40 that I
neglected the second radio and by the time I listened on 20 again it was full of
Europeans.
I CQed to EU on 20 for close to an hour but there were no real pileups and the
rate was just moderate. John, K2YY, showed up at the station around 1530 and
operated SOSB 15. One of our monobanders for 15 was not working so I delayed
moving to 15 and when I did we shared the remaining antennas. Phase noise from
John's transmissions was fairly strong but we were both S&Ping so we just
dealt with the intermittent hash caused by it.
10 was open to PY, LU and CE when I first checked and then it opened up to all
of the Caribbean, Central and South America.
Our main rotatable monobanders for 20 and 15 are on the same mast so John ran
JAs on 15 while I ran on 20. I worked 4 JAs on 15 after John left but probably
missed some mults on 15 during the time he was running.
I tried 40 earlier than the previous day and the Europeans that couldn't hear me
before were now workable despite mostly weak signals. I also went to 80 earlier
and worked mostly VEs, but also a few others that I'd missed the day before.
Around 0300 signals on the 80m inverted vee dropped dramatically and the SWR
went high. I tried reseating connectors, moving it to other positions on the
antenna switch, but concluded that something had failed with the balun or
something else outside that I couldn't easily deal with at night during the
contest. I switched to the other 80m inverted vee, cut for the phone band, and
was able to get about 900 W into it while keeping all of the Alpha 9500's lights
green.
I made a couple of QSOs to the Caribbean using this arrangement but wasn't
having any success to EU. I tried loading this antenna on 160 with the K3 ATU
but it wouldn't load. I had hoped to add to my 160 mult totals but didn't have a
transmit antenna that worked there. At this point I got discouraged and decided
it would be a good time to head home, sleep in my own bed, and return after
getting some rest.
When I returned I first listened for any new Caribbean or South Americans on 40,
then I started to CQ for Asia. What I forgot to do was rotate the antenna in
that direction. I was listening on a JA Beverage so when JAs called they were
loud. I was wondering why I was getting so many 0-point US callers. I didn't
notice this for over an hour as the rotator controls are several feet from my
operating position.
Sunday's opening to EU on 20 was not as good as Saturday. 15 was about the same.
I heard a couple of PY stations on 10 but had already worked both and CQing
didn't raise any DX.
I moved to 40 with a half hour left and worked a few new mults. Based on other
reports I should have tried 40 earlier in the day.
73,
-Mike, N7MH
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|