[3830] CQWW SSB VK3TZ SOAB LP

[jennyb at alphalink.com.au]

                     CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB
                    
Call: VK3TZ
Operator(s): VK3TZ
Station: 

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Melbourne
Operating Time (hrs): 40
 

Summary:
 Band     QSOs  Zones  Countries
-------------------------------
  160:      3      3      2
   80:      9      7      6
   40:     83     18     24
   20:    591     32     90
   15:    248     26     59
   10:    342     29     55
-------------------------------
Total:   1276    115    236  =  1,273,536

Club/Team: 

Comments:

What an interesting contest. As usual my preparation was poor, I had hoped to 
operate from a Scout camp using a 60 ft tower in a rural location with no 
noise... but the 600 Girl Guides took precedence of course. So it was operation 
from home again.

I pulled the tower down and attempted to convert the 2 ele yagi on 30m back to 
the 40m rotary dipole. It worked, but after 2 or 3 QSOs something failed. Used 
the wire dipole for the rest of the test, even climbed the tower to replace the 
balun but it must have been an open circuit loading coil.

Got the computer running one minute before the start, the antenna back in the 
air 10 minutes before that. At 0100z I had 104 Qs in the log on 10m. Condx were 
fantastic, but it didn't last. After 2 hours about 200 Qs... and a 140 hour 
between 0530 and 0630z was great with peaks of 300/hr for the last 10. After 
that I heard the hiss start and the bands close. 10m did not open to EU like it 
had to the USA. Search and pounce was the order of the day for most of the rest 
of the test.

Interesting that NA and EU seemed to indicate Sunday was better than Saturday. 
It was the opposite here for sure. The JAs seem to have gone missing. I did not 
get one run of JAs despite them being due North. I could here JAs working NA 
and EU but had no propagation here. Also 10m was open but 15m dead. Seemed like 
the A index was absorbing the lower frequency signals. Worked a few EU and NA 
long path on 15m.

It was great to be called by JW5E on 20m for zone 40 and to finally work a zone 
2 during the contest. First in 13 years! The ONLY africa I heard or worked was 
EA8s, IG9 guys in zone 33. I beamed there several times... nothing. Great to 
work the South Americans on 10m.. this is quite rare from here.

Broke the VK LP record with about 2 hours to go but the bands did not open for 
me to clear it enough to be sure that log errors will not pinch it from me. 
Perhaps someone else broke it by more anyway? Considering how bad condx got 
here  I am really pleased to have got there.

Some great DXped mults... thanks for travelling guys! Also many USA and EU 
commented on the great signal on 20m. Surpised the hell out of me with the amp 
off. Heard a US signal on 160m on Sat night and an LY with a MASSIVE signal on 
Sunday morning, but neither could hear the 100W.

Station : FT-1000MP, TH6DXX @ 15m, Rotary dipole @ 18m for 40m (failed) wire 
dipole at 14m, 80/160m 1/2 slopers.

I'm stoked!

Regards all

Tony (not AL as the callbook says)
VK3TZ


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