[3830] RTTY WPX VA7ST SOAB HP

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                    CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest

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

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 27.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Pts
-----------------
   80:  210   810
   40:  240   980
   20:  390   178
   15:    6    16
   10:           
-----------------
Total:  846  2708  Prefixes = 335  Total Score = 907,180

Club: British Columbia DX Club

Comments:

N1MM Logger + MMTTY
FT2000 + SB221 |  FT920 second radio
3 ele. CL33 @ 45'
40M twin half-squares (E or W)
80M twin elevated verticals (E or W)

Score history:
Year  Qs    WPX   Score
-------------------------
2009  846   335   907,180  27.5 hrs HP
2008  612   258   470,850  21.0 hrs HP
2007  972   420 1,154,160  28.5 hrs HP
2006  702   284   578,792  28.2 hrs
2005  584   264   422,664
2004  225   114    67,009
2003  344   149   147,212

SFI = 70 |  A = 4 > 18 > 10 | K = 1 > 4 > 2

Second-best ever WPX RTTY here. Figured conditions might be better than they
were, but they weren't. Day one was far better than day two, band- and
rate-wise. A-index soared to 18 on Sunday morning after opening at just 4 or
so. Definitely noticed the difference.

Went in with hopes of 1.5M points, 1K QSOs and 500 mults -- goals that relied
on two good EU openings on 20M, some SO2R help, a 15M opening, a bit of luck on
80M, and a new level of performance on the refreshed 40M half-square array that
has been a bit of a dog this season. In setting these goals, I was gunning for
my 2007 totals, which I figured could be surpassed given better radio (FT2000)
and better low-band antennas.

Biggest disappointment was the lack of a strong EU opening on 20M Sunday
morning. Saturday's opening was pretty good with loud signals until well after
1800z. On Sunday I could hear stations but they couldn't hear me, and there was
little depth -- mostly big guns.

15M never opened here at all, other than a thready path to South America. Just
6 Qs vs. the 100 I needed for my goals.

20M was solid for domestic work, but not all that good for DX though afternoon
JA runs were very welcome. Was down by 200 Qs and 100 WPX from where I wanted
to be. Tribander (Classic 33) still doesn't take high power well --
intermittent issues continue until I replace it this year.

40M was great. To make the half-square phased array work into North America, I
had to take down the pair of verticals just to the east that point to EU, so I
had no signal over the pole. Still, could tell the late-afternoon EU openings
were happening. Worked S52X off the side of the half-squares Sunday afternoon,
but he was the only European station that heard me. 

The 40M half-squares, spaced 22' with ~1/8-wave coax feeds from a relay box
between them, did better than any antenna arrangement I've tried here. My
personal best on 40M was in 2006 with 166 Qs, but this weekend I managed 240 Qs
on 40M (including some good daylight runs). Taking down the EU twin verticals
hurt, but recovering a decent pattern across NA is worth it. Must figure out
something else for EU. 

80M was as good as 40M. Elevated two-vertical array (67' spacing) did really
well across NA. Previous best in WPX RTTY was 134 in 2007; this year it was
210. Friday night SO2R worked well, adding about 40 extra Qs I wouldn't have
made otherwise.

But getting back to overviews, conditions weren't very good. For a while around
1900z Sunday on 20M I was actively thinking about pulling the plug, asking
myself why I was wasting time at the radio with rates down in the scuppers.
Figured I might go hunt K5D on other bands and other modes.

One call turned me around. "KS2EZ" popped up. A new WPX, I though. Cool. Work
him... Wait a minute, KS2EZ isn't right. I glanced at the time. 11:20 or so
local time. Just about right on cue for Barry to pop up from South Africa. Been
a while, but maybe 20M is getting back some of its verve. "QRZ?" I called.
"ZS2EZ" came back. 

Now that's worth sitting around waiting for! Every time I work Barry on that
fickle but awesome pre-noon path from VE7 to ZS, it makes my weekend. Ten
seconds of QSO time put it all back in place for me.

Hope the special-call VE7/VA7s (CG7, CF7) had a blast. Ops I worked include
VE7UF, CG7CC, VA7KO, and CF7RN. It's a good thing they were all really weak on
the short haul because when VE7 pounds in here, I know propagation is in the
terlet.

The three-monitor setup with two radios seems to work out nicely. For RTTY SO2R
I am learning not to bother with the second radio if rate is more than 60/hr as
I get muddled up. Don't know how guys do it with any rate in CW.

Didn't get near my goals for this one, but I was right on track until Sunday
morning -- that weak EU opening only provided a paltry few Qs/WPX here, and 15M
did a disappearing trick. 

Final analysis: all's well that ends, well, so-so. 

Thanks for all the Qs. Sadly missed I2UIY's big signal... this one was for
Paulo.


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