ARRL September VHF Contest - 2021
Call: WA3EKL
Operator(s): WA3EKL N3DPB KB3VQC KA6PNL WV8BNM
Station: WA3EKL
Class: Limited Multi-Op HP
QTH: SEVERN, MD
Operating Time (hrs): 19:48
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 129 22
2: 100 29
222:
432:
903:
1.2:
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
-------------------
Total: 229 51 Total Score = 11,679
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
FIRST OF ALL WE HAD FUN AND NO EQUIPMENT ISSUES. THE PROPAGATION WAS NOT AS
GOOD AS LAST YEAR AND SCORE INDICATES THAT. THERE ALSO SEEMED TO BE LESS
STATIONS THAT LAST YEAR. THE SEPTEMBER VHF CONTEST ALWAYS SEEMS TO YIELD MORE
GRIDS ON 2 METERS THAN 6 METERS AND ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR WAS NO EXCEPTION. IN
PREVIOUS YEARS WE USED A 2 ELEMENT, OMNI DIRECTIONAL, HORIZONTALLY POLARIZED,
PHASED ARRAY ON 2 METERS AND 5 ELEMENT 6 METER BEAM, BOTH ANTENNAS HOME BREWED.
THIS SUMMER WE ADDED A 2 ELEMENT, OMNI DIRECTIONAL, HORIZONTALLY POLARIZED,
PHASED ARRAY ON 6 METERS WHICH HELPED GREATLY DURING THIS CONTEST. THE 6 METER
ARRAY NARROW THE GAP BETWEEN THE NUMBERS OF GRIDS ON 6 AND 2. MOST OF OUR
REGULAR CREW WAS ON THEIR END OF SUMMER VACATIONS WITH ONLY TWO OF OUR NORMAL
CREW HERE WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE OUR HIGHLY MOTIVATED CW AND PHONE VHF OPS.
THEREFORE WE RAN ONLY FT8 THE ENTIRE CONTEST BECAUSE WE WERE ALSO RUNNING THE
WAE CONTEST AT THE SAME TIME WITH MINIMAL OPERATORS. DUE TO THE POOR CONDITIONS
AND LACK OF ACTIVITY IT WAS RELATIVELY EASY TO FIND A HOLE TO CALL CQ IN IF YOU
WAITED ONE FULL CYCLE TO MAKE SURE NO ONE WAS ON EITHER SIDE WHICH I ALWAYS DID.
HOWEVER I DID NOTICE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS ON BOTH BANDS AFTER I HAD MADE
SEVERAL CONTACTS ON MY CQ FREQUENCY THAT NO ONE WAS COMING BACK. IN ALMOST
EVERY INSTANCE WHEN I STOPPED TRANSMITTING SOMEONE WAS TRANSMITTING
"DIRECTLY" ON TOP OF ME. OFF TIMES THE SAME CALL SIGN. NOT VERY
SPORTSMAN LIKE. IN OTHER INSTANCES I BELIEVE THAT MANY OPERATORS FORGOT TO
CHECK THEIR "HOLD TX FREQ" BOX SO WHEN THEY CALLED SOMEONE THEY ENDED
RIGHT ON TOP OF THAT PERSON'S TRANSMIT FREQUENCY. THEN AFTER THE CONTACT WAS
COMPLETED THEY BEGAN CALLING CQ NOT REALIZING THEY WERE RIGHT ON TOP OF THE
STATION THEY HAD JUST CALLED. I WILL GIVE SO SOME OF YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE
DOUBT. THE OTHERS NOT SO. DESPITE THE DELIBERATE ANNOYANCE WE ALL HAD A GREAT
TIME WITH THE NEW HB 6 METER ARRAY AND OPERATING IN THIS CONTEST. THE FOOD WAS
EXCELLENT AS USUAL AND I AM SURE WE MISSED A FEW MULTS SPENDING MORE TIME AT THE
TABLE THAN WE NEEDED TO. TNX TO ALL WHO CAME BACK TO US AND SEE YOU IN THE NEXT
ONE. 73 FROM OUR TEAM, WA3EKL N3DPB KB3VQC KA6PNL WV8BNM
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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