[3830] CQWW SSB VA7ST SOSB/10 LP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST

Class: SOSB/10 LP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 1

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:                    
   80:                    
   40:                    
   20:                    
   15:                    
   10:  46     11       22
------------------------------
Total:  46     11       22  Total Score = 4,356

Club: 

Comments:

Last year, I jumped in for an hour and made 12 contacts. Didn't like the
frustration of pushing CW antennas higher in the bands, with the attendant lack
of signal strength. 

Tried it again this year -- jumped in a few times during the first 47 hours and
made 10 QSOs across 20/15/10. Figured it was hopeless with the setup here.

I had no luck all weekend working 20M and 15M, with just a 6 QSOs. Although the
bands seemed very good and I was hearing dozens of countries, neither stateside
nor DX stations could hear me. 80W or so into mismatched antennas makes for
limited action. 

This summer I put up a very low (27') Spider beam with 4 elements on 10Mm where
it is sufficiently broadbanded to allow both phone and CW operation. Haven't
really had conditions suitable for giving the antenna a whirl. 

Just before 2300z Sunday I figured I'd give it one last shot. 10M, where I
figured I could at least make a couple of contacts with the big-signal stations,
was wide open to the Pacific.

I managed to S&P my way through about 42 10M contacts in the final hour. Finally
working stations with any kind of rate at all helped me realize that when
conditions are good enough for my weak signal to pull through, this SSB
contesting is a blast.

Once I solve the antenna height issue with a decent tower, I think I'll play
more in the phone tests.

Thanks to everyone for the contacts -- and for your patience with the weak
signals.

73, and see you in 2004.

Bud, VA7ST


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