[3830] WPX SSB VE4EAR SO(TS)AB LP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: VE4EAR
Operator(s): VE4EAR
Station: VE4EAR

Class: SO(TS)AB LP
QTH: Winnipeg
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:   92
   40:   60
   20:  224
   15:    2
   10:    0
------------
Total:  378  Prefixes = 231  Total Score = 250,404

Club: 

Comments:

So much for planning! Though I was prepared, begged permission from the wife and
kids to put in a strong effort, checked antennas and all was OK. Computer and SW
was updated and latest check and country files loaded. Then murphy enters the
picture.

First I am told that we have to go out for a few hours Friday night. I could
live with that sm it would give me 30 minutes of op time at the start of the
contest.

Started on 20 and it was wide open to SA and promising to turn into good condx
for the South pacific and Asia. Worked 20 S&P contacts in the first 20 minutes
before leaving.  After returning to the rig at about 0400 I couldn't believe
the noise level. I checked 40 & 80 m and the QRN was 20dB over 9 on the dipole.
And to make things worse, the BiggIR vertical wpouldn't even load on 40 m. 27
contact in 90 minutes and I decided to call it quits at 0530 and try again in
the morning.

Back on at 0900 and thought I would try to catchthe JA and ZL/VKs on 40 before
20m opened up. Again couldn't get the vertical to load and VSWR was crazy on
the other bands. Managed to work just a few strong stateside signals on 40.
Noise was still very high.

Looking at the near real time MUF prediction at
http://www.spacew.com/www/realtime.php  indicated that we were under a huge
Aurora! To make matters worse, it looked like the MUF was not going to hit 20 m
between us and EU. Now what...huge noise on the low bands, no propagatiion on
the high bands, and a defective 40m antenna!

In the daylight I went outside to see if there was any visual problems. I soon
discovered that the freezing rain we had 2 days before had weighed down the 
guy wires and caused one of the telescoping sections of the BiggIR vertical to
collapse into the lower one, hence the antenna could not extend to its full
length on 40. It was also way to windy to try and effect a repair.

Struggled all day to make what contacts I could on 20m. A few Carribean and SA.
was the best I could do. Trying to run a freq with 100 watts and a dipole was
not working! 15m opened for about 15 mins with S2-S3 signals at best, even from
a few of the big gun SA stations. 10m might as well be consider microwave from
here!

Finally gave up on 20m at about 0130z. EU never appeared but I could hear the
VE3's and stateside stations working them. The MUF tool just verified the fact
that there was no path between the black hole of central Canada and EU. Asia
didn't look promising either.

Forget 40m and it was on to 80m. To my surprise, the noise was way down and
actually had a few runs going. Heard a few EU but there was no way to get their
attention with the 100w and dipole when there was so many others calling. Gave
up on the DX and just concentrated on working whatever stateside I could.
Packed it in at 0440.

Sunday morning the weather looked promising to attempt an antenna repar. The
MUF prediction also indicated a promising day. Spent 4 hours pulling the
antenna down, extending and securing the tube and finnaly retensioning all the
guys.

Back on the rig at 1600 and still no EU The VE3's and VE2's were working them 
and I could tell they were there but way too much QRM to have a chance. 15m
never opened here. Checked every 15 miutes or so as I had hoped that could be
my "money band" as 20 was way too crowded for me to try running. Went above
14.3 and below 14.15 and still no luck. I would have to be content with
stateside contacts it appeared.

Finally about 1830 the band opened into EU and North AF. Made several contacts
and was even surprised with a couple South AF contacts.

Spent the rest of the contest bouncing between 40 and 20. Picking up the higher
score 40m contacts between working the new prefixes on 20.

Spent a lot of time in the chair with not many contacts to show for it.
Hopefully the plans for a tower and beam happen this summer and maybe next year
I can be more productive. Antennas will help but unless I move, this QTH is
still a black hole of propagation. Between the Aurora and lower MUF paths, what
can you do? All DX is two and 3 hops away at best!

My apologies for rambling!

73 to all

Ed VE4EAR


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