N2IC/0 Single-Op Unassisted

[LondonSM]

N2IC/0 - Single Op, Unassisted

ARRL DX CW

Band  QSO's  Countries

160    34       22
 80   161       46
 40   414       64
 20   870       85
 15    72       41
 10    18       10

     1569      268

  1.26 M Points

After the 2-sigma condx we experienced in CQWW CW, this certainly was a
let-down.

The black hole was real intense.  DX activity seemed way down, especially from
JA, Carribbean and ZL (ZL1AMO only ZL worked all weekend - and just on 1 band).

160 - Pretty average, by Colorado standards.  Worked a handful of EU at EU
sunrise on Sunday AM.  JA sounded excellent on Sunday AM, but as a single-op, I
needed to be on 80, 40 and 20 at that time.

80 - Friday night was the pits- worked some EU around 03Z, then they faded out
as we got closer to EU sunrise.  Saturday night was much better - lots of fun
listening to sunrise move across EU.  Good JA opening Sunday AM - better rate
than 40 meters.  No LP or other surprises.

40 - I should have spent more time here - slept too much (7 hours total).  EU
peaked around local sunset - when I was on 20 running JA.  Absolutely no EU
opening at or after EU sunrise.  Good JA Friday night/Saturday AM.  Lousy JA
Saturday night until close to local sunrise.  LP was there both mornings, but
no activity.

20 - My bread-and-butter band.  Good 1st hour of the contest, then nearly dead
by 0130Z.  Band was late opening to EU Saturday AM, but did work 300+ EU in the
4 hours the band was open (Yes, that's good by Colorado standards !).  Band
dead again by 0130Z.  Sunday EU opening much poorer - all signals had extreme
auroral sound.

15 - Only N/S propagation.  Worked a handful of S0 EU stations Sunday AM -
direct path (skew path didn't exist).  Worked 2 S0 JA's at the end of the
contest.  Could have worked more Africans if there had been more activity.

10 - Dead on Saturday.  Short, selective opening on Sunday.  TI1C and 6Y5XX
pinned the S-meter for about 30 minutes on Sunday.

To give you an idea of just how bad the polar path was, I worked a grand total
of 1 UA9 over the weekend.

Should have been a 24 hour contest - made 70% of my QSO's the first day.

73,
Steve, N2IC/0
n2ic at dr.att.com