[3830] CQWW SSB N5AW SOAB LP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

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

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: STX
Operating Time (hrs): 41
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   16     8       10
   80:   78    15       37
   40:  167    25       74
   20:  238    23       77
   15:  353    26       96
   10:  140    15       39
------------------------------
Total:  992   112      333  Total Score = 1,186,370

Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club

Comments:

Equipment: Orion + Icom 746PRO
Antennas: 10/15/20 - 4L SteppIR @ 75', C3 (2L) @ 42' fixed SE
          40: Moxon (own design) @ 137', Lazy H @ 130' for JA/SA
          80: 5 sloping dipoles with tuned feedlines from 135' tower
          160: 137' tower with elevated radials at 70'

You guys with more modest antennas may think this is whining but I've still not
fully recovered from last springs storm damage which destroyed my SteppIR among
other things. In fact what is left of the SteppIR is still on one of my 135
foot towers. Attempted to take it down just before the contest to replace it
with a new SteppIR delivered on Tuesday but decided I could not do it safely.
Ended up installing the new antenna on a 75 foot tower instead. The lower
height made a definite difference on 20 meters but seems to play as well as
ever on 15 and 10. Biggest downer was having only two antennas for the high
bands -the SteppIR and a C3 fixed SE at 40 feet both on the same tower. With no
bandpass filters it was not very effective for SO2R but my microphone switching
refused to work anyway so mostly just used one radio.

The good news antenna wise was my new 40 meter Moxon. Finally gives me an
antenna with a low SWR in the phone band. Despite only so-so conditions on the
low bands I ended up with my highest totals ever for this contest on both 40
and 80. Easily worked almost every thing I heard on 40 for a change (except of
course those who frustratingly never listened in the US band)

Ten was better than expected Saturday with lots of Caribbean and South American
stations plus KH6FI and ZM2M. Sunday morning on a hunch I switched to 10 at 1415
UTC with the beam on Europe and low and behold there were signals. Ended up
working 7 Europeans (G, ON, PA, DA) in 5 minutes and then they were gone.
Sounded like openings I have heard on 6 meters. C50C boomed in for a few
minutes Sunday afternoon then disappeared buy LU, PY, CX and CE were there for
hours.

Phone is not my favorite mode but enjoyed the contest and am looking forward to
CW - hopefully with some further antenna improvements.


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