[3830] CQWW CW - N5YA SOSB(UA) 15M

[R.S.Hradilek]

Call used: N5YA

Callsign of Operator(s): AD5Q                                                       
 
band    QSOs   points    zones     ctys 
                                       
160        0        0        0        0 
 80        0        0        0        0 
 40        0        0        0        0 
 20        0        0        0        0 
 15     1033     2892       35      135 
 10        0        0        0        0 
                                       
TOTAL   1033     2892       35      135         SCORE: 491,640
 
I arrived at this emerging station with an agenda to improve 
capabilities on the lowbands by upgrading the single NE beverage 
to two 2-wire bev's to cover 4 directions. This was successful, 
though there is a local noise problem which takes out both bands - 
especially 80. Also, I did not have time to work out an SWR 
problem on 40 before the contest.

All the other ops were out of town or unavailable, so I had an 
uncommon opportunity to single op this station. My home station 
is basically tri-banders. I had Bill's station mostly wired for SO2R, 
but with 3 bands not up to speed I made the hard decision to go 
single band on 15.

Conditions were not the best. The band was slow to open in the 
morning, and EU rates were about half what I was hoping for. On 
Saturday I worked very little over the pole, and didn't get my first 
zones 17 & 18 in the log until the 2nd day. There was plenty of 
time to pounce the bands for mults, and few pileups presented a 
problem here. The main antenna was 6 elements on a 48 ft boom 
at 111 ft.

On the 2nd morning the bands seemed to favor the Russians. 
Rates were still low, and where I expected the opening to swing 
across to the rest of europe - it died early instead. JA's were good 
both days. I wish I had the Saturday EU opening to do over.

I thank Bill, N5YA, for the use of the station. It will continue to grow.

Roy -- AD5Q