[3830] WA7BNM CQWW SSB SOAB LP

[Bruce Horn]

WA7BNM   32 hrs   683,552    764 Q    107 Z    221 C    SOAB Low Power/Unassist

                          CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: WA7BNM
Category: Single Op, All Band, Low Power, Unassisted
Zone: 03
Location: S.Calif
Operating Time: 32.0 hrs

            Q    Z    C
--------------------------
 160        4    3    3
  80       21   11   10
  40       90   20   36
  20      235   28   68
  15      302   27   66
  10      112   18   38
--------------------------
          764  107  221  =   683,552

Antennas:
  160: 0.25 wave balloon-supported vertical
   80: Force-12 EF-180 rotatable dipole at 100 ft
   40: M2 3-el 40m yagi at 90 ft
20-10: Stacked Force-12 C3XLs at 72 and 105 ft

Comments:

After the improved solar flux conditions during the California QSO Party, I
was hoping for considerably better conditions during CQWW. Unfortunately,
the flux headed the wrong way. Spent much of the contest through Saturday
plagued by S9 line noise. This is usually a quiet location, so will have to
investigate.

Unlike the previous couple of years, I could never get an extended run
going to JA on 15m. Seemed like everyone time I was developing some
momentum some high power station would decide the frequency I was on was
available, and I'd be looking for a new spot. However, thanks to the 10m
openings I ended up with more multipliers than I've ever had in this
contest. At the end I was pleasantly surprised that I exceeded last year's
score.

The greatest motivation I've found for improving my CW skills is working
40m during a SSB DX contest. Heard a lot of DX on 40m that I had no hope of
working because either my 100W never made it through the QRM, or they never
listened up for the US. Seemed to be a lot of unidentified "listen up"
transmissions on the DX frequencies below 7100 kHz this year.

I would like to thank HA3UU for a valiant effort at trying to copy my
callsign on Sunday on 20m. We never completed the QSO, but the op really
tried.

73 de Bruce, WA7BNM   (bhorn at netcom.com)



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