[3830] ARRLDX CW W4ZV SOSB/10 HP

[btippett at alum.mit.edu]

                     ARRL DX Contest, CW
                    
Call: W4ZV
Operator(s): W4ZV
Station: W4ZV

Class: SOSB/10 HP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 27.3
 

Summary:
 Band     QSOs  Mults
----------------------
  160:              
   80:              
   40:              
   20:              
   15:              
   10:   1752    113
----------------------
Total:   1752    113  =  593,928

Club: PVRC

Comments:

     Wow!  In spite of missing about 20 minutes during prime EU time Saturday 
AM (and I figure 40-50 Q's due to a bad connector), I still managed to beat my 
score last year and the record by about 1% because of more multipliers.  I 
worked all propagationally-difficult zones (18, 22, 23, 24 and 26) and even 18 
and 26 on both morning and evening openings.  Was a great thrill to be called 
by 3W, JT, E21 (HS), XX9, 9V, BV, etc!  Maybe just as exciting were all the QRP 
guys...OH9VL takes the prize with a power of "0R5" or 500 milliwatts.  I still 
recall the DL station who sent me "1" and I thought maybe it was a cut "ATT" 
for 100 W.  When asked for confirmation he said "1W to GP" as his signal peaked 
S8 on my meter!  N7ET/DU7 was another exciting QRP caller!  BTW does anyone 
know what JA3YBK was using?  He was weak but audible for a LONG time after all 
other JA's were gone.

     Signals from EU were incredibly strong here...some of the big guns peaking 
>50 dB over S9.  All the clicks and trash made for tough copy in the lower part 
of the band.  One OK told me I intermittently had some spurs, etc and I would 
like to know if others heard the same from me.  I've not had similar reports 
using the MP and a well-underdriven LK-800A amplifier so I'm inclined to blame 
it on simple overload due to the incredible conditions.  I found turning off 
the MP's preamp on 10 (Menu 8-4) did a lot to clean up similar trash I was 
hearing from many of the EU big guns.  The trash our radios put out is a real 
problem when 10 is open like it was (...BTW the same applies to strong local 
signals on 160)...most of it is unintentional but I suspect some of it is not.  
If you thought my signal was bad please let me know at btippett at alum.mit.edu.

     Thanks to God for the incredible conditions and to all for the QSO's and a 
very fun weekend!  (I almost wished I had tried 160 when I listened Friday 
night but 10 meters will be a distant memory when 160 sounds like that all the 
time in a few years!)

                                                 73,  Bill  W4ZV

P.S.  For CT users, watch out if you worked ND5S from both /FS and /PJ7...CT 
9.57.004 will count the multiplier correctly for the second QSO...but will 
count it as a DUPE and ZERO QSO points.


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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