[3830] ARRLDX CW N7IR SOAB QRP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: N7IR
Operator(s): N7IR
Station: N7IR

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: AZ
Operating Time (hrs): 42
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    9     8
   80:   29    21
   40:  136    51
   20:  224    67
   15:  112    45
   10:    8     5
-------------------
Total:  518   197  Total Score = 306,138

Club: Central AZ DX Assn

Comments:

The same score, nearly, as last year but with a different band distribution. 
Ten meters was dead for QRP except for a couple of hours on Sunday around local
noon when a few stations got loud enough to work.  Congrats to the op at WP2Z
who I worked meteor scatter style with nearly ESP signals both ways.  Even the
ever-present Argentine stations were few and far between; heard 4 and worked
3.

15 was way down from last year and 20 was much better.  With most people hanging
out on 20 during the European openings the band got very, very crowded.  Found
myself tuning above 14.100 quite often and finding lots of people to work up
there.  

40 seemed to go flat Saturday evening or maybe I just ran out of stations to
work who could hear me.  Had one good JA run Saturday morning on 40 and that was
it for the weekend.  The long path opening on Sunday morning was good enough for
me to work 5 stations in UW, OH and SP.

80 and 160 were the usual exercises in frustration and elation when using QRP. 
The high point was working G0IVZ on 80 for my only European on that band (second
year in a row that has happened).  No African stations were workable this year
on 80 due to the massive pileups on the few stations that were loud enough out
here in the desert southwest.

The ARRL DX CW contest is the best DX contest of the year for US/VE QRP ops in
my opinion.  Thanks for the QSOs, see you all again next year.

Equipment Description:
Two Elecraft K2 transceivers
486-120 running CT 9.74
Top Ten Devices SO2R interface
Antennas:
Radio 1:
  20/15/10 meters: Force 12 5BA at 73' 
  40 meters:       Force 12 EF230/240 at 84'
Radio 2:
  20/15/10 meters: Force 12 C3S at 40'
  80 meters:       Delta loop, apex at 72'
  160 meters:      Shunt-fed 72' top-loaded tower
  K9AY Receiving Loop Array

73
Gary, N7IR


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