IARU HF World Championship - 2021
Call: P44W
Operator(s): W2GD
Station: P49Y/P40L
Class: SOAB(A)CW HP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 23:30
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs Zones HQ Mults
-------------------------------------
160: 25 0 7 5
80: 152 0 17 28
40: 814 0 33 46
20: 713 0 41 52
15: 570 0 25 38
10: 181 0 12 24
-------------------------------------
Total: 2455 0 135 193 Total Score = 3,702,792
Club: Frankford Radio Club
Comments:
K3S, Alpha 91B - 1 KW Win-Test logging software
Monobanders 40m - 10m, Tribander, 80m inverted V, 160m vertical dipole
Four beverages in key directions.
This week was nearly a duplicate of what I experienced operating here in 2019.
The towers and antennas have since all been replaced at P49Y/P40L and they
really work well. But it's the 'unknowns' that come into play that you need to
be ready for when they happen,
The three days before the contest spent considerable time listening to the
bands. Everything seemed terrific. The noise floor was a very quiet S-4 or
less on the higher bands and there was no trace of line noise in any direction.
Bolstering my expectations for a quiet weekend were the four tropical downpours
over the two days just preceding the IARU which seemingly further washed away
more of the residual salt on the power lines. Really thought everything was
coming up 'perfect'.
Here is where the carbon copy part of the operation comes to play. Out of the
blue a solid S-7 power line noise appeared unexpectedly with a vengeance on all
the bands at the beginning of the third hour and continued almost constantly for
the next 9 hours until near sundown - after enjoying near complete quiet the
days before. Bummer!
It was crippling on the high bands all day long. The run rate was instantly cut
in half and it didn't seem to matter very much where the beams were pointed -
the noise was pervasive. I hat CQing knowing I'm an 'alligator' on receive.
So just as happened in 2019 I was forced to made a strategy correction in light
of the noise problem - deciding to concentrate on aggressive multiplier hunting
over the last twenty + hours. Giving up was never an option.
Ultimately the final score is 500K higher than posted two years ago.
Overall conditions from northern SA were reasonably good. EU was workable 160
through 10 and conditions to Asia on 40 were very good near sunrise. Rates were
never 'huge' but seemed steady all weekend. Some local storms near the ABC
Islands were a QRN generator on 160m as the night progressed but not a problem
on 80 and 40.
Had a great time celebrating my 72nd birthday and hope you did too! Thanks for
calling.
Planning to return and operate P40W for CQWW PH and CW this fall.
73,
John, W2GD
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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