[3830] WPX SSB VA7ST SOAB HP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

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

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 30

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    1
   80:  123
   40:  224
   20:  594
   15:    1
   10:     
------------
Total:  943  Prefixes = 408  Total Score = 1,088,544

Club: 

Comments:

* FT-2000 and SB-221
* N1MM Logger (with rig DVK control)
* 3 ele. trapped tribander at 45'
* 40M  -- half-squares
* 80M  -- delta loop
* 160M -- inverted-L (good for almost nothing this weekend)

 Band     QSOs     Pts  WPX
   1.8       1       4    0
   3.5     123     479   42
     7     224     892   78
    14     594    1290  288
    21       1       3    0
 Total     943    2668  408  Score: 1,088,544

My first WPX SSB (at least, I don't recall trying this one before). Had a very
good time, and thought I would -- WPX appeals to me more than most phone
contests as there's tons of action, everyone gets to work everyone, and there
are plenty of mults around for a little pistol station like mine.

Expected conditions to be a bit better than they were, given the sharp rise in
solar flux over the past week. Just 1 contact on 15M. None on 10M.

Went in with hopes for 500 Qs. Managed that by Saturday some time, and just
kept going. Figured I'd try to get 500,000 points if the bands were any good. I
certainly did not expect to get near a million, but when it got closer I drove
hard for it, hi.

Friday night was really quite lousy on 40M and 80M from here. Watched the
livescores.org site to see my buddy VE4EAR surge ahead on the strength of a
powerful 40M outing. Ed (three provinces away) found mults and Qs I didn't know
existed. I kept going but figured I was going to have one of those weekends
where bad conditions truly determine how I do despite best efforts.

Things sure picked up on Saturday night. On 40M Friday night I was pretty timid
with the amplifier, as one kid reported TVI while playing his video games. I
don't want neighbour problems, so kept power below 300 watts until I could
confirm that only that one TV closest to the antenna, using a cheap RF-splitter
at the video game, exhibited TVI. The other cable-powered TVs in the house were
unaffected, so Saturday night was QRO again and it made a difference in Qs.

20M was good to South America on Friday and Saturday. Sunday seemed like much
slimmer pickins, but still quite a few new stations in the late morning and
afternoon. Decided to run a tuner between the amp and trapped tribander (Mosley
Classic-33) and that allowed me to work much better up in the high end of 20M,
though still doesn't quite make me comfy.

The new N1MM Logger macro commands for the FT-2000 DVK were in action for the
first time. Worked very nicely. About 70 per cent of my Qs are from CQing, and
about 20 per cent of CQs were DVK. Good for late at night, when all the family
heard were my hollered exchanges, hi.

Pretty dead low bands gave me about 9 hours of off-time each night, so sleep
wasn't an issue. Kept well-hydrated with lemonade and lots of plain ol' water,
as I wasn't sure what 30 hours at the mic would do to my throat. Can feel it,
but nothing much at all.

Felt like I made smart choices for band time (heh... "OK, Bud, stay on 20M
because nothing else is open. Ever."), and pointed in all the right places at
the right times. Wish JA had been open longer both days, but happy to work the
handful that I found. Europe opened rather briefly both mornings, with Sunday
a.m. the stronger opening. Still, the peak to EU was a bit flat and signals
choppy. Had a hard time with all but the big guns.

        QSOs     Pts  WPX   Score (claimed)
2008     943    2668  408   1,088,544  SOAB HP


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