[3830] ARRLDX SSB KQ2M SOAB HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: KQ2M
Operator(s): KQ2M
Station: KQ2M

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 17.7
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   10    10
   80:   77    42
   40:   85    47
   20:  516    91
   15: 1266   103
   10:   47    26
-------------------
Total: 2001   319  Total Score = 1,914,957

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

After my part-time operation in ARRLDXCW, I had planned to make a serious effort
in ARRLDX Phone but "real-life" intervened again in the form of another family
medical crisis between the ARRLDX weekends.  There was no time to fix my
low-band antennas and even less time to operate.  As a consequence, I spent very
little time on the low-bands and I made very little effort with the 2nd radio. 
Maybe next year.

I thought it was strange that with the solar numbers almost identical to those
of the CW weekend, cndx were generally so poor!  15 was THE band and fortunately
my station works well on 15.  But 20 was very spotty and 10 was almost
non-existent.  There just wasn't enough solar flux to support any openings.  The
only EU station that I heard on 10 was CT1DVV was was a real S9 at 1507z on
Sunday.  I coudn't believe that I didn't hear any EA, I, 9A, IT9 or other
stations, even skewpath! 

The 10 meter openings to the Caribbean/SA were like pointing a laser beam.  When
the band opened to Zone 8, it was EXTEMELY narrow.  You got V2 and KP2 but NOT
KP4 at the same time.  Later on when the band opened to Zone 9, you might hear
FY weak and watery but no 8R or YV.  Or you might hear ONLY P4 and nothing else.
 Very strange indeed!  Unfortunately this is typical of the low sunspot years
when openings to the Caribbean are VERY spotty on 10 from New England!

While I worked a lot of EU stations on 15, with everyone "penned in" on that
band, it was always a struggle to pull out the weak and not-so-weak stations
with heavy qsb and the ever present splatter.  Most of the runs were hard work
among the constant band fades and reopenings.   The higlights of the contest
were a brief but decent JA run on 15 on Saturday night.  That and S9SS and A45WD
calling in on my 80 meter run freq.  Thanks!

40 was... well.... UGH!  You must be VERY LOUD on that band to run guys, and my
"inverted x" is not.  The EU splatter on 40 ssb is simply out of control.  It
almost feels like some stations go out of their way to MAX their processor to
widen their signal to keep a larger chunk of spectrum for themselves.  When you
are S9+20 and you turn up your processor, you don't make yourself easier to
understand, all you do is increase your bandwidth to 2-3 khz and then become
distorted almost to the point of becoming unreadable.  This simply decreases
everyone's rate and EVERYONE SUFFERS!

Overall, it was a bit of a grind this year due to poor cndx but it was still fun
to operate and it is always great to see my friends and say hello.  It may be
easy to communicate with everyone via email, but there is NOTHING like being
able to work them on the radio, even if only for a few seconds.

There is nothing like the "magic" of communication via radio.  The internet and
email can never replace that!

Thanks for all the qso's!  CU in WPXSSB!

73
Bob KQ2M
  
kq2m at earthlink.net


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