[3830] DL-DX RTTY VA7ST SOAB-6 HP

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                    DL-DX RTTY Contest

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

Class: SOAB-6 HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Pts   Mults
-------------------------
   80:                 
   40:   28   285    18
   20:   94  1065    35
   15:    2    20     2
   10:                 
-------------------------
Total:  124  1370    55  Total Score = 75,350

Club: British Columbia DX Club

Comments:

Conditions so-so at best. Even a lot of NA signals were hard to copy and
hampered by QSB, and the EU openings on 20M were very weak, again. Called CQ
with 800W over the pole around 3 p.m. local (2200z) but couldn't raise anyone,
though when I did an S&P pass the EUs I could hear were able to hear me (CT,
DL, GM, PI, IN, EI, SP).

"Almost" worked a new one, but it turned out to be the one that got away. Heard
C37 Andorra replying to a CQ at 14.098 so I leaped up to 14.102 [keeping wide of
the beacons] and called CQ in an empty slot. About three minutes later, the C37
called in. Sadly, someone passing by must have thought he was finishing a CQ
and a big signal rained all over us trying to get his attention. Never did get
to copy an exchange.

Only JA worked was JA7BME on 20M at 0725z (12:25 a.m. here). Heard a couple
others but almost too weak to attempt Qs. 

As we often hear, 15M was definitely open but nobody home. Just 2 Qs there,
both on the usually do-able W6 to VE7 path. 

40M felt rather good, with ZM2B and VK7AD (thanks guys!) calling in with
surprisingly strong signals late Saturday night on the dipole. I was CQing with
100w at the time, SteppIR's 40M dipole at 27', and didn't expect any DX at all.

Celebrated the XYL's birthday (July 4) with dinner and a movie with the kids.
When I got home I stayed on 40M to pick up all the W0-9 mults, and didn't get
to 80M until very late. No takers on CQ, and nothing heard on the band.

Put in just 5 hours by early Sunday morning and had saved 1 hour for a grand
splash to JA on 40M in the 3 a.m. final hour, but promptly slept all the way
through. Was pleased to beat last year, but there was no way I could justify
hanging in for many more hours with rate as slow as it was, so the 2007 24-hour
effort remains the goal to aim for.

Solar flux was 67 when the contest started at 4 a.m. PDT Saturday. By Sunday
afternoon SFI had risen to 72. Sunspots look they might be on the rebound for
real as of this weekend -- sun actually has a persistent little blemish for a
count of 24, which it has not shown in several years. Wish group 1024 had been
a couple days earlier to bump up solar flux in time for DLDX, but perhaps it'll
have a positive influence on IARU next weekend. Fingers crossed. 

http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=05&month=07&year=2009

Year  Qs  Mult Score
------------------------------
2009 124   55   75,350 HP  6hr SFI= 67 A= 1 K=1
2008  77   28   21,980 HP  6hr SFI= 65 A=11 K=1
2007 278   75  215,625 HP 24hr SFI= 71 A= 4 K=1>2
2006  77   29   27,405 LP  6hr 
2005  55   29   18,995 LP  6hr
2004  83   41   37,105 LP 12hr

73 and thanks for the contacts.

-- Bud VA7ST

http://www3.telus.net


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