ARRL DX Contest, CW - 2020
Call: K9ZO
Operator(s): K9ZO
Station: K9ZO
Class: SOSB/80 HP
QTH: Illinois
Operating Time (hrs): 18
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80: 633 86
40:
20:
15:
10:
-------------------
Total: 633 86 Total Score = 159,960
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
80 meter single band, high power, no assistance
I have been practicing the CWTs. After over 200 of them I can snap up calls on
the first try. Whenever I went to 80 my rate went up.. Also I have been able to
get some of the DXpeditions, but not the real far ones or ones where the did not
bring big enough antennas. So I thought that 80 would be a good band to set a
baseline to compare improvements. The TX is a 66 ft wire hanging down from a
tree. 45 radials and the sump pump has hose extensions so it dumps on them. RX
is SAL 30 (only used for 6 Hawaiians, and Caribbean, but normally my main
USA/CWT antenna) and 1200 ft beverages to NE and NW. I did not use the 900 ft N
and E beverages.
First night was all running. Missed HB0. Not many SP or DL. I was so pleased to
work a half dozen QRP guys. Amazing to work people an hour after their sunrise
and before sunset. JA at 2am an hour before their sunset. JH4UYB wrote I was
loud before their sunset. No far away Russians or middle east.
Second day was a different mix of European areas and time to tune. Noticed that
the VFO on the Flex 6600 was starting to jump around. This is the third knob I
have had with this problem - poor quality control. More DL the second night.
Not many G, but I later found out they had a big gale. Three new Asian mults 45
minutes after my sunrise on Sunday. (DU6, VR2, BG2, but the same JAs as in the
middle of the night and at sunrise)
Still not set up for SO2V or SO2R, but heading there. It was inefficient to
change receive coax when both JA and EU were coming in.
I wish I had the energy to finish my DXE 4 square last fall. Slow going with
just me. Luckily my cancer side effects had subsided after a couple months of
xxxx. It took months to put the beverages up and the cold damp weather put me
in bed for a week. Sometimes I only could put in a couple supports or roll out
a wire, or pound in a ground rod before getting chilled. I kept at it for
weeks. [Actually my deadline was to work JT5DX for my final 5BWAZ zone and did
it on 160 and 80!!] Putting up a simple beverage is problematic depending on
the ebb and flow of side effects. I have not been invited on any DXpeditions or
multiops since I started treatment. (Which will be forever until it quits
working.) I was lucky to match my energy with the time needed to catch most of
the openings.
No rare or far DX, but I will keep working at improvements. It was very
satisfying, especially since I can add an S unit on TX with the 4 square and try
phasing some beverages or another SAL30 in phase. The only problem with
expansion is that I will have to mow the grass instead of having a farmer plant
corn.
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