[3830] IARU WZ3AR(@N3HBX) SO SSB HP

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                    IARU HF World Championship

Call: WZ3AR
Operator(s): WZ3AR
Station: N3HBX

Class: SO SSB HP
QTH: Clarksburg, MD
Operating Time (hrs): 22

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs  Mults
---------------------------
  160:            7     4
   80:           84    20
   40:          144    40
   20:          675    67
   15:          111    28
   10:            5     3
---------------------------
Total:   0     1026   162  Total Score = 479,196

Club: 

Comments:

The first part of this contest was ROUGH. Basically all I could find was North
and South America on 15 and 20. I didn't work a single European until more than
three hours into the contest, and it was another hour and half later before I
started putting them in the log on a regular basis. The 15m opening to EU was
weak and barely anything on 10m except for some Zone 8's and TM0HQ (weak). N4PN
in GA told me during the contest that he got a nice EU opening on 10m. It looks
like you guys to the south and west got the better propagation in this one. For
the first 6-8 hours, I couldn't get much going on 20m and I was getting better
rates S&P than calling CQ.

But conditions improved as the contest went on and I started getting some
decent runs and putting a lot of mults in the log. I made more of an effort to
work U.S. stations on 40 and 80 and that increased the QSO totals on those
bands considerably. Nothing on 160 from outside Zone 8. Heard the JA HQ station
on 40 and the BY HQ on 20, but neither of them heard me. Also missed a few mults
on 40 (like T70HQ) who were never listening split when I ran across them. 

I took several breaks during the contest but never slept during the first 22
hours. I took the last two hours off because the rate had dropped to zero and
sleep was more appealing that contesting (although I likely missed some juicy
Asian mults during this period).

My goal was 1000 QSOs, which I managed. This finish is also a personal best in
this contest for me, in overall score, mults, and QSOs. Also worked two new
DXCC (5Z and FR/j) and many new ones on 40 and 80. Conditions down there were
pretty good. No static crashes or noise levels about S6-7. Very good conditions
for July!

Another highlight: I never tuned up an amplifier or antenna the entire contest
(in terms of actually turning knobs, at least). John, N3HBX, has two amplifiers
connected to his FT1000MP MARK V: an AL-1500 and a VL-1000 (auto tune). On 20, I
used only the AL-1500 and left it and the antenna tuner set to that band. On the
other bands, I used the 1000, which both tunes itself and the transmission line
when you press the "tune" button on the front. This made band changes a lot
easier than in years past, but I still need to work on band change strategy.

Thanks to John and Carol, his xyl, for letting me use the station during the
weekend. This is the fifth time I have operated from N3HBX's great station and
I'm getting fairly accustomed to it. For example, I noticed in this contest
that my hand would naturally go the correct rotator box depending on the band I
was on.

4-band QSOs:  DA0HQ, K0BWQ, K0RH, K5NA, K5NZ, K9SD, N4OX, N4PN, OE1A, SN0HQ,
W1AW/4

5-band QSOs:  K5TR, NU1AW/8, TM0HQ, W4SVO

Beacons:  W7WA, K7RL, K5TR, WB9Z

Station:
FT1000MP Mark V
AL1500 (20m), VL-1000 (other bands)
Antennas: N3HBX in http://www.pvrc.org/WCSD/WCSDsearch.htm


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