Stew Perry Topband Challenge - Dec 17
Call: K4HQK
Operator(s): K4HQK
Station: K4HQK
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Alexandria, VA
Operating Time (hrs): 4:20
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 75 Total Score = 190
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
Mine was a limited effort (100w, half of an 80 meter dipole) marked by S9 line
noise, the wife screaming I’d blown out her laptop (requiring me to QRT
Saturday night for two hours), and not very good band conditions, so I eked out
only 75 QSOs during a little over four hours in the Stew Perry. That’s a
miserable 17/hour rate.
I worked the majority of stations I heard CQing, although some could not hear me
calling at all. Overall, I simply was not hearing many stations. Was it band
conditions? Competition from the RAC Winter contest? That line noise? I heard
very few U.S. stations working DX, and of course I didn’t copy any DX myself
with the exception of ZF9CW, who quickly disappeared before I could call him. So
overall, DX for me consisted of four fellows in Ontario (VE3s EJ, MGY, MM and
PN) and N0NI in Iowa.
Long, slow, and very deep QSB was a problem throughout the contest. I learned
that if I let a faded signal recover before calling him, I increased my chance
of getting a response.
After 60 QSOs I QRTed Saturday night at 2240 EST. Sunday morning I hauled out of
bed at 0600 to hear a smaller group held over from Saturday night still calling
CQ. I had worked most of them already so I picked up only 15 new ones. (Several
of those struggled to copy my grid exchange so 2 or 3 in my log may end up not
being confirmed by contest management.) A few more joined the contest around
sunrise (0722), but only a few, so at 0730 I just gave up and pulled the plug
with 75 QSOs in the bag. Checking back at 0800, the band had gone totally
quiet.
John K4HQK
Station: IC7410, one-half 80m dipole.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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