[3830] ARRLDX CW N5AW SOAB LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: N5AW
Operator(s): N5AW
Station: N5AW

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: TX
Operating Time (hrs): 44
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   45    30
   80:  151    62
   40:  408    78
   20:  318    85
   15:  285    82
   10:   33    16
-------------------
Total: 1240   353  Total Score = 1,313,160

Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club

Comments:

Score is down almost 30% from last year - 240 fewer Q's and 14 less mults. Why?
In 2006 I worked 417 Europeans on 20 meters, this year only 175. That is a
difference of 242 and pretty much tells the story. Same antenna and same radio
so I guess I have to blame conditions.  Never could get a decent run going -
less than 30 Europeans from CQing. Last year had 85 in one hour. Actually 40
meters would have been the same story but managed to almost make up for the
lack of European Q's there with some great JA runs (211 JAs on 40 vs. 76 last
year). Antenna may have been part of the story there - lost the 2 element yagi
I used last year and the replacement does not work as well. Using the same
"Lazy H" for JA though. It is a good S unit better than the yagi.

Looked like 10 was going to be almost a total loss with only 9 Q's and 6 mults
on Saturday and no signals at all Sunday morning. Then just after 1800 of all
things KH6's start coming in. They were in for several hours and also ended up
with a decent opening to South America and the Caribbean.

Can sure tell we are near the sunspot minimum - best 160 totals ever. However,
switching from a shunt loaded tower to elevated radials has also helped
significantly on that band. Had my most QSOs ever on 80 but fell 3 mults short
of 2004 record of 65.

Operated 44 hours - most in many a year but there were some very slow hours in
the afternoons. Would probably have been better to sleep then than the 2 hours
I took off from 0940 to 1140 Sunday. 

I have enjoyed the good low band conditions the last few years but I'm ready
for some sunspots and those great European ten meter runs again!

Marv, N5AW


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