[3830] ARRLDX CW W3EF SOAB LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: W3EF
Operator(s): W3EF
Station: W3EF

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Maryland
Operating Time (hrs): 42
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   37    32
   80:  127    66
   40:  474    82
   20:  828    82
   15:   69    38
   10:    0     0
-------------------
Total: 1525   300  Total Score = 1,379,700

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Wow, what a contest.  As W3LPL said on the "real" 3830 a moment after it ended,
"Welcome to contesting at the bottom of the sunspot cycle".  For a while there
it seemed like even 15m was never going to make it to Europe -- and this with 8
elements on my only fully-functional rotator (a TIC Ring).  I did manage to work
a few, more on Sunday than on Saturday, but running anything on 15 was clearly
out of the question.

So also, it appeared, was running anything on 80 (as N1UR has commented).  My
wire 4-square could perhaps be better tuned and strung, but as in Ed's case I
found I could work them when I called them (better than usual, in fact, and
including Asia and Oceania on the greyline).  However, the few times I tried
CQing on 80 I very quickly discovered that there were no takers.  Perhaps it
was just the die-hards out there, all calling CQ.  Or perhaps I really do need
to fine-tune the antenna to raise the smaller stations for whom I am down in
the noise.

160 was open, but seemed worse than last year.  It certainly seemed there
wasn't as much on.  Running was, of course, out of the question.  Still, with
the new phased inverted L's I managed to work whatever I heard.

10 was officially dead.  Or so I incorrectly concluded, now that I see there
were a few precious mults to be had.  I checked from time to time (even moved
once when asked by ZP0R) but no joy, so I didn't look often enough it seems.  I
don't remember the last time I had zero Qs on any band in this contest, but
there it is.

Which left 40 and 20.  When I arrived back in the US from HB9 (where I spend
most of my time), the 40m beam was still on the ground and in need of repair,
and the indicator pot on the 20m Prosistel Rotator was shot (and the feedline
had torn off as a result).  So it was a busy week, what with two days of
business travel and various weather problems on top of the very significant
antenna work.  We finally got both beams connected, and replaced the pot, but
neither rotation system is yet fully functional.  Still, being able to point
them at Europe and leave them there was better than nothing!

My exclamation at the beginning of this note reflects my feeling that, like
several others have already said of their own efforts, I was really pleased
with my performance in this contest.  Most people's scores seem to be well down
on last year (sadly for me, not N1UR's -- and another great spoiler job by K1BX;
warm congrats to you both), but I managed to post about a 15 percent gain.  More
importantly, I think I may finally be getting really good at this.  That is to
say, while there is certainly plenty of room for improvement, I don't think I'm
missing any of the key points.  My biggest handicap is that I really only do the
one SO2R contest per year, so it's taken me a while to develop the expertise. 
But I am finally using both radios--and using them well--pretty much all the
time, and it seems to be paying off.

What I still marvel at is Marv -- N5AW that is -- who ran more than 200 JAs on
40m, along with posting the usual incredible multiplier total from, yes, Texas.
 Being in Maryland I have neither the geographic advantage of the real northeast
(we are actually below the Mason-Dixon line!) nor the clearly acknowledged
disadvantage of parts central and west, so am neither fish nor fowl.  But Marv
manages to show us all up from the back of beyond with that mult count year
after year.  Maybe I do have some things still to learn....

73s from HB9,

Maury W3EF
(Jet-lagged and contest-lagged and teaching in 12 hours!)


Station W3EF (Silver Spring, Maryland -- FM19):

IC 7800 150w & IC 765 (80w on a good day)
Top Ten selectors and DX Doubler
WX0B Six-Pak
Writelog

Antennas:
160m: Comtek phased inverted Ls (2) @ 75' w/elevated radials
80m: Comtek wire 4-sq (sloping to supports off 125' tower) w/elevated radials
40m: KLM 40M4 @ 125'; wire GP
20m: Telrex 20M646 @ 105'; A3S @ 53'
15m: Telrex 15M845 @ 92'; A3S @ 53'
10m: A3S @ 53'


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