[3830] CQWW SSB VO2WL(VE3JM) SOAB HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: VO2WL
Operator(s): VE3JM
Station: VO2WL

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Labrador City
Operating Time (hrs): 43.8

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:    3     2        1
   80:  269    12       44
   40:  413    16       45
   20: 1355    24       85
   15: 2132    24      101
   10:  583    18       53
------------------------------
Total: 4755    96      329  Total Score = 4,672,025

Club: Contest Club Ontario

Comments:

My first trip to Zone 2. Certainly a trip to remember.

I heard about VO2WL for the first time from Dave, VO1AU.
Chris, VE3FU, got me in touch with Naz, VO2NS, who at the end
let me operate from there.

I came there on Wednesday afternoon by car from Ottawa.
The trip is about 1450 km long. The road between Baie Cameau
and Labrador City is only partially paved. I brought with me
a home made vertical for 40 and 80. It was made as per
suggestion from Sinisa, VA3TTN. We put the antenna up the
same afternoon, but the SWR was a way off than expected.

The next day we did more tuning. On Thursday there was a
real winter storm with strong winds. Naz was more enthusiastic
making the antenna working than me. We also shortened
the dipole for 80, put R7000 up and a flag antenna directed
to Europe. By the end of the day everything was set.

I made few QSOs that evening on 40. For some reason there was
a lot of noise from North East. I was supposed to have a sked
with a European station on 160, but I couldn't hear a thing 
from the noise. 160 was like that all 4 nights while I was 
operating from there and the flag didn't make any difference.

The contest went better than expected considering the gloomy
predictions. My major mistake was that I probably missed the
opening the first day on 10. The last time I checked the band
was 14:30Z and it wasn't good. Nick, VE3EY, finds me on 15 at
17Z and tells me that the band is wide open in Toronto. 

At around 4:00Z Sunday morning Yuri, VE2IM, finds me on 80.
At that time he has around 3300 Qs and I 100 less. Not bad, but
the part that worried me is that he made 500 Qs more than me
on 10 and has more multipliers.

On Sunday I was trying to spend more time on 10. It didn't go
well, my rate went down and it never opened to Europe.
If I can do this contest again, I would at least use the second
radio to listen for openings on other bands.

The constant noise from North East may be coming from a huge
mine facility which is in that direction. They operate 24/7
and it was the most annoying on 40 and 15.

On the way back to Ottawa I had a small car accident. 
I lost control over the vehicle on an unpaved road covered with 
snow and ended up in the ditch. It happened 200 km from 
the closest town and I was very lucky that I wasn't injured. 
The tow truck came 7 hours later, I slept that night in Baie
Cameau and came home the next day with another van.

I would like to thank Chris, VE3FU, for many precious advices 
and getting me in touch with Naz, Don VO2AG for help with 
antennas and especially Naz for a great hospitality and 
all the help.

Congratulations to VY2ZM, VE2IM and VO1AU for nice scores.
As far as I know this is the best score from this location
even though there were few serious M/S operations in the past.
After the car accident, I decided not to operate in CW part
and instead spend time with my family.
GL in CW part,

Vlad VE3JM


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