[3830] CQWW SSB VE4EAR SOAB HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

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

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 25

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:                    
   80:                    
   40:  129    19       47
   20:  444    26       95
   15:  144    20       59
   10:                    
------------------------------
Total:  717    65      201  Total Score = 479,598

Club: 

Comments:

What a weekend! Took Friday off work to try and finish the install on the new
tower and antennas. Aluminum was in the air but the feedlines, rotor cables and
switch control lines were not installed. Working against the clock and with
weather on my side managed to get the lines installed. However the remote
antenna switch cables I had made previously were way too short to reach the
shack. So Ispliced in the necessary length but this took signifcant time
soldering and weatherproofing the connections. 

With the contest started and darkness falling, I did not have time to install
the wire antennas for 160 and 80m. These were brand new antennas for 40 and 
20/15/10 and I had no experience on how they would behave. About 1 hour after
the contest start, fired up the rig and there were actually signals. Other than
a few Zone 31 stations, 20m was dead so it was off to 40. 

I could not believe my ears on tuning 40m. First the background noise was S3-4
where on my old Steppir vertical it was constant S8-9. Signals were everywhere
and I was hear Zones 20/21/38/35 and the usual 15/16. Signals were armchair
copy, way above the noise level, a totally new experience on40m.

However I was surprised that I could not make a lotof Q's. I was used to
working what I heard for the most part. Now I was receiving S8 signals and they
would not be hearing me. I was thinking something was wrong with my equipment.
Spent some time listening to audio, testing power and could find no problems.
When the band died out I went QRT for the night since thelow bandswere not
available here.

20m in the morning was a shocker for me. With a beam, I could work EU! I was
breaking pileups, noise was down, signals were up...so this is how the other
half had been living (beam owners that is) I just did S&P up and down the band,
working as many mults as possible. Didn't try running as I was just havoing fun
being heard! Didn't go to 15m earlier enough to catch the EU stations but
picked up a lot of AF, and SA stations. 

Late in the afternoon started hearing static crashes and learned we were having
a freak thunderstorm. Rain, Hail, thunder and strong wids forced me to QRT.

As 20m was fading and the JA's starting rolling in, I felt very loud as I could
work everyone with 1 or 2 calls. Thjis was a new experience as working JA's in
the past as very iffy. Now they were true 5/9 signals and I was just amazed.

Didn't get to play Saturday night as it was my daughters birthday and I was
needed and committed elsewhere.

Sunday started like the day before then Murphy came calling. Winds were blowing
60 - 90 kmph. I was hoping the new metal was going to stay up! Then my new next
door neighbor came knocking complaining that I was interfering with his home
theater system. So now I am the good neigbor and promise to work with him to
resolve the problem but he doesn't have time and has a house ful of kids a t a
birthday party. So I lower the power to 80w and finish the contest on low
power.

So the new antennas are a dream compared to the old vertical and wire. Looking
to see some big impovements in scores this season.

Thanks for the Q's and thanks to VA7ST for the thrashing once again! Thought I
had him in my sights but then he started trying and just pulled away!

73

Ed
VE4EAR


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