[3830] ARRLDX SSB P49Y(AE6Y) SOAB HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: P49Y
Operator(s): AE6Y
Station: P49Y

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 43
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:  221    46
   80:  916    58
   40:  994    60
   20: 2249    61
   15: 1627    58
   10:  221    31
-------------------
Total: 6228   314  Total Score = 5,886,776

Club: Northern California Contest Club

Comments:

First ever ARRL DX Phone, after operating it on CW from here in 2003-2007. 
Quite an experience, made more interesting by the unfortunate fact that my back
went out on me on Friday, with the result that I couldn't really stand up for
the rest of the weekend and could barely move (visualize Quasimode in the
Hunchback of Notre Dame).  However, I could sit in a chair, albeit
uncomfortably, so I decided to stick it out for the contest.  

  Low points:  (1) Got off to a depressingly slow start Friday night.  20 was
open for less than an hour, and then it was time to slug it out on the low
bands with the EUs for hour after hour.  (2) After an initial quick 100 or so
Qs on 160, very few responses were received to CQing on that band for the whole
rest of the contest.  I did move about 10 mults there in the course of the
weekend, but also had at least a half dozen unsuccessful moves.  Thanks to the
guys in both categories!  (3) 20 was miserable at times, with endless QRM,
particularly when wide open to EU; though of course it is much more fun here in
the late afternoon and early evening after EU is closed to NA.  I wasted a few
hours on Sunday afternoon fighting on 20 when I should have gone back to 15,
which was in better shape.  At that point in the contest, however, I wasn't
thinking very clearly and didn't realize that I should have moved.  Since I
couldn't get up and walk around to clear the cobwebs from my mind, I think I
was less internally coherent than usual.  (For example, I remember believing
that the many VE3s calling in, and only the VE3s, were calling to ask my
permission to go to a landfill, and that by working them I was giving them that
permission -- I couldn't understand why there were so many landfill customers,
but fortunately I never said so out loud!)

  High points: (1) Some very good hours on 15 (in fact, my only hour over 260
was a 330 hour, 1500-1600Z on 15 on Saturday).  (2) And, of course, the brief
10m opening Sunday evening.  I listened on the second radio a lot to PJ2T and
LUs calling CQ on 10, waiting to hear someone who was answering them, but it
didn't happen until about 2145Z on Sunday.  Then had a great hour and a quarter
of high excitement, with mostly East Coast mults, but also CA, NM and NV and a
number of AZ.  
 
 The usually crowded Aruban social calendar has been reduced by my back
situation, which sadly made me cancel the traditional after-contest dinner
planned with P40V (Carl) and P40YL (Sue), but I did have a pleasant meals with
P40A (John) and P43L (Lisandro) and Lissette, and will be seeing P43A
(Jean-Pierre)and P43C (Chris).

Rig: Elecraft K3, Icom 756 Pro2, Alpha 86X2
Ant: F12: 1 el 80, 2 el 40, 4 el 20, 5 el 15, 2 el 10; C31XR. 160 H-dipole.
Beverages.
Software: CQPWIN ver. 11.1

Thanks to everyone for the activity and the Qs (and to P40V for lending one of
the 86s).

  73, Andy, AE6Y, P49Y


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/