[3830] CQWW CW VA7ST SOAB HP

Mon Nov 26 01:27:51 EST 2007

                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 32

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:                    
   80:  325    13       24
   40:  312    18       33
   20:  761    25       52
   15:   72    13       20
   10:                    
------------------------------
Total: 1470    69      129  Total Score = 615,582

Club: 

Comments:

Gear:

* 1 x 80M delta loop
* 2 x 40M half-squares
* 1 x trapped vertical
* 3 ele. CL-33 tribander at ~45'

* FT-2000 (great QRM-beater) + SB221 (bulletproof amp)
* N1MM Logger (outstanding)
* SP5CFD's CW TuneIn (software for tuning CW. 
  Wish more guys could do that)

=================================================

Year-over-year comparison:

       QSOs  Ctry  Zones  Score
2002    675   147   63    313,740
2003    865   115   73    351,936
2004  1,421   146   79    697,500
2005  1,014   126   61    411,587
2006  1,476   163   78    775,297      35 hrs
2007  1,470   129   69    615,582 < HP 32 hrs
=================================================

Short Version:

Wow. Conditions were lousy over the pole, but pretty good on 80M and 40M to
Asia. Some surprises from Africa, saw Chinese stations active, and lots of JA
action on 80M. Antenna issues limited the fun on 20 and 15. Unassisted keeps a
guy roaming when not running.

Long Version:

I let down the "another N6ZZ memorial" team (K1XM at 6V7D, PY2NY, W1KM, N1UR at
9M6AAC, and me) but did all I could from here. Hope Paul, Vitor, Greg and Ed had
a blast (we posted on livescores so I was able to watch 6V7D and PY2NY crank up
their totals all weekend. Well done guys!) 

Figured on 1,700 Qs and 1.2M points. Didn't come close on either. Had
calculated higher totals provided by running HP, but it was not to be. 

For zones, I did OK (compared to last year) but the country mults just weren't
there with the antennas I have and the band openings I got. Worked just a dozen
EU stations all weekend on 20M (SM, F, CT, OH, S5, E7, UA). No Europe opening
Saturday morning, and virtually no opening Sunday morning. Heard OF8L big into
BC a few times, but that was about it.

The trapped tribander has been acting up lately and this weekend really proved
a serious problem on 20M and 15M (never looked at 10M but it's probably shot,
too). Cold weather has arrived, and I may have to wait till spring now to get
the antenna down and look over the traps -- one or more is buggered. Had
elevated SWR and the performance of a dipole this weekend on 15. Was
frustrating to hear South America and not be able to raise them with a KW. Not
a lot better (but a little) on 20M. Front-to-back seems trashed.

Last year, I made hay on 160M but this year the inverted-L wouldn't play at all
(could hear 'em, just couldn't load it up at all). The horizontal wire at about
70' up runs along a PVC-coated steel cable -- I guess it closely couples to the
element. Was worth a try -- wish I'd had time to test more before the contest
but only got it in the air Friday afternoon. Will suspend it by a foot or two
and see if that fixes things. At least I can do that in winter weather.

Friday off work, switched to 300-ohm twinlead feeder for the 80M delta loop
(replacing the standard 50-ohm to 1/4-wave matching section feeder). Worked FB
-- tuned well on all the bands, though it only heard really well on 80M and 40M
(the bands I wanted to use it on anyway). 80M JA runs were very solid this
time.

40M half-squares were really great. Using two of them for instant switching
between CA-ZL/EU and US/Asia, plus a pair of elevated verticals for EU (though
there was no opening to use that system). 40M went long early, as it has
recently.

Friday morning at 8 a.m. Pacific, there was a great big EU long-path opening on
40M (first time I've seen one that I could tell was coming out of the south).
Heard 20 countries in an hour, and worked a few for fun. S9 signals. I hoped to
see it on the weekend, but not a sniff of it. Would have been tremendous!

Nice surprises: ZS1EL calling in on 20M Sunday morning and VP8NO in the
afternoon. Also 3X5A was a nice find on 40 and 20.
Best presence: E51A had good signals all weekend on 4 bands.

Liked running HP as it held a frequency all right. Enjoyed some great runs
(well, for me at least). It's hard to believe I had more Qs and mults last year
with 100W -- I lost a lot of ground with the flakey tribander this year, and
made up for it a bit with more domestic Qs on 80-40-20:

Band   2007               2006
       Q     CTY  ZONE    Q    CTY  ZONE
160M     -     -   -      141   6    6  
80M    352    24  13      240  24   15
40M    312    33  18      230  33   17
20M    761    52  25      620  63   24
15M     72    20  13      244  36   15
10M      -     -   -        1   1    1
      1470   129  69     1476 163   78

Fell 6 Qs short of last year, which I'd have made up if not for dupes who
called in on 40 while I was going for broke in the final half hour. Sure wonder
what the heck these guys logged the first time around.

Must take my hat off to W/K ops -- I love this contest, but I'd like it a lot
less if most domestic stations were worth zippo points. I was quite happy to
point the antenna SE from here, turn on the MFJ noise canceler for the power
line noise, and hand out two points to whomever came along. That was great. 

Had a lot of fun, but knew almost from the beginning with the balking Classic
33 that performance was sunk on the high bands. Will be that way till I get at
it to repair or replace. Wonder how long this antenna has been bad... Hmmm. If
you don't hear me messing about in boats for a while, it's because of that
now-lousy trapped beam. First time I've ever looked forward to going to the low
bands for the night. Anyone use a DF4SA Spiderbeam in CQWW this year?

History of contest scores and stories at:
http://www3.telus.net/va7st

Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/