Hi all,
Due to various commitments, I wasn't able to start until after lunch on
Saturday, although I did manage to sneak into the shack for a couple of
hours during the morning.
I spent the first hours on 15m, trawling the band for the easier to work
calls, with the intention of leaving the juicier DX until later.
However, finding the likes of KD6DX and KH2/N2NL calling was too much to
leave, so I called, and worked them both. This was a new band-slot for me,
so was especially pleasing.
It was also very pleasing to see JA's and even UA0YAY (z23) on the band, as
it has been a while since I was able to work that kind of stuff on 15m. I
kept checking 10m, and found a few short openings, but nothing too amazing.
I kept at 15m until it was hard to work stations, and they were beginning to
thin out so I went down to 20m.
I tried calling CQ, but just could not get a run going, so I just trawled
the bands, picking up mults whenever possible, and working pretty much
everyhting that I could hear.
Just around 1800UTC, I tried 10m, just out of curiosity, and found a few
PY's and LU's. I had expected this to happen, as it was dark by this time,
and I have found that it is worth checking this N/S path around this time.
However, after a short while there, 15m had closed here to all but those big
guns that were already in the log.
I also kept getting RF into my Microkeyer, where it would only send
gibberish, and it meant a reboot each time, so I gave up for the night,
felling quite dispirited.
A good sleep was what I needed, so I decided to start early on Sunday
morning. For some reason, I had no more problems with the Microkeyer sending
gibberish, so I am not sure what happened.
80m was the first band to try, and although everything ws a mult, it was
mostly EU's, and only a few audible W's. W1UE was the only one to hear me,
although K4GMH and NR4M were both quite strong here.
After an hour, I went to 40m, again, just to add to the tally, but the band
seemed quite lively.
YV4BCD was a nice mult, as were K4FJ, FM5CD, WJ2D, XE3N and HC8/K6AW. Sadly,
W9NGA was loud hear, but could not hear me. A pity, as he was sending 03 AZ,
and that would have been a real nice mult, not to mention a neat one on RTTY
on 40m for me! Still, I did get him on 20m later in the day.
Again, I spent a lot of time just going from the top to the bottom of the
RTTY signals, and working whatever I could.
I CQ'd, and had some good runs this time, albeit that it did get a little
unruly at times. I guess I got spotted, as it would hot up every now and
again, and then slow down to a more manageable rate.
Again, 10m opened just after dark here, but only to LU and PY again. I heard
CV5D with a strong signal, but he just could not hear me. However, several
weak PY's got me easily, so I was pleased with that.
After that, I went to 40m, and was pleased to work JH4UYB, and then I saw
JT5DX with a huge pile-up.
I did try, but quickly realised that I was never going to hear him respond,
and his rate was incredibly slow due to the pile-up.
I went back to the top of the RTTY signals, and started to come down the
band again, working whatever I could hear, and I was amazed to see that
JT5DX had moved, and was now calling CQ with no response! It took two calls,
but I got him! Another new band-slot!
I was amused to see several W's that clearly aren't used to RTTY, sending GA
or GM, which is pleasant, but a little confusing when they then send CT 05,
or worse still - GM GA 05.
My gripes? Well, why is it that folk send their call when it is quite
evident that I am in the process of receiving a contest exchange?
I can understand someone being pleased to see a GU call on screen, and
sending a call if they have just found me, but some folk repeatedly sent
their calls over a report again and again.
And during one small pile-up I had, I was asked by a IK station to QSY to
15m for him, as he needed GU on 15m. PLEASE!
Yeah, right! Maybe if it had been JT5DX, or HC8, I may have tried.
Had one more session of gremlins in the Microkeyer on Sunday afternoon, but
only the one.
Some other amusements:
Seeing LZ9W being worked by an Sp who decided his call was 4K9W, not LZ9W.
Trying to call M7T on 20m via backscatter as they were quite audible with
me, but they weren't sure of my call, only to have someone call ME with a 2
X 3, thus giving them a hint as to my call, with which they worked me.
Great to work the likes of K7QQ, VE5RI, VE6WQ, VE7UF, VE7SV, and a few
others.
I logged some nice DX on all bands, and ended up with 2 new band-slots
courtesy of KG6DX and KH2/N2NL on 15m, and the JT5DX on 40m.
Since the end of the contest, I now have confirmations on LoTW with 6V7X for
10m, VR2PX for 15m, and KH2/N2NL on 15m. These are all new confirmations for
me, so thanks to you all.
Here is my tally:
Class: SOAB LP (100 watts max, but usually only about 80w)
QTH: Guernsey
Operating Time (hrs): 18
Summary:
Band QSOs Pts State/Prov DX Zones
----------------------------------------------------
80: 33 71 1 22 5
40: 99 212 2 49 14
20: 271 628 29 64 20
15: 145 355 12 56 24
10: 13 35 0 7 6
--------------------------------------------------
Total: 561 1301 44 198 69 Total Score = 404,611
80m Summary
Zones
5 14 15 16 33
Countries
9A CT3 DL EA EA8 F G GI GM GW
HA I K LX ON PA S5 SM SP T7
UR YL
States/Provinces
MA
40m Summary
Zones
5 6 8 9 10 14 15 16 17 20 23 25 33 40
Countries
5B 9A CT CT3 DL E7 EA EA8 ER ES
EU F FM G GM GU HA HC8 I IT9
JA JT K LA LX LY LZ OE OH OK
OM ON OZ PA S5 SM SP T7 TF UA
UA9 UN UR XE YL YO YU YV Z3
States/Provinces
NC VA
20m Summary
Zones
3 4 5 9 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 27 28 33 40
Countries
4J 5B 9A 9M2 A6 BY CT CT3 DL DU
E7 EA EA8 EA9 ER ES EU G GM GU
GW HA HB HZ I IS IT9 JA JT JY
K LA LX LY LZ OE OH OH0 OK OM
OY OZ P4 PA S5 SM SP SV T7 TF
TK UA UA2 UA9 UN UR VE VP9 VU YB
YL YO YU Z3
States/Provinces
CT MA NH RI VT NJ NY MD PA FL GA NC
SC TN VA TX AZ WA OH IL KS MN NE NS
QC ON SK AB BC
15m Summary
Zones
4 5 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22
23 24 25 27 33 34 36 38 39
Countries
4X 5B 9A A6 A7 CT3 DL E7 EA8 ER
EU EY F HA HC8 HI HK HZ I IS
IT9 JA K KH2 KP2 KP4 LA LU LZ OH
OH0 OM P4 PA PY SM ST SV SV5 SV9
TA TR UA UA9 UK UN UR VE VQ9 VR
VU YO YU Z3 ZC4 ZS
States/Provinces
MA ME NY PA AL FL NC SC TN VA IL ON
10m Summary
Zones
11 13 14 15 20 35
Countries
6W 9A I LU LZ OZ PY
States/Provinces
NONE!
Thanks to all for the fun. My log is already on LoTW, but paper cards are
always welcomed.
Very 73
Phil GU0SUP
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