[3830] Commonwealth ZL2IFB Open HP

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                    RSGB Commonwealth Contest, CW

Call: ZL2IFB
Operator(s): ZL2IFB
Station: ZL2IFB

Class: Open HP
QTH: Hawkes Bay
Operating Time (hrs): 21

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
   80:   83
   40:  146
   20:   93
   15:    3
   10:    1
------------
Total:  326  Total Score = 4,630

Club: ZL BERU team KiwiDX

Comments:

As the electrons settle on another BERU, I'm in a good mood so must have done OK
this year!  There were the usual ups and downs though ...

Ups:
- Finally got the tribander up on Saturday, just in time
- FB Hawke's Bay QTH - so nice not to live in a valley! 
- Worked lots of old pals on 80-40-20 and can still remember most of your
names!
- Worked VE7RAC, VK4WIA, ZL6A, plus GB5CC on 20m, for HQ bonuses
- Was called by ZS2DL on 20m at 11:02z, for my very first CQ Zone 38 QSO here
in ZL
- Had a "spare" (4th/non-bonus) VU QSO on 20m for once, though no 4S
- Being lent a spare rig and not needing to use it (thanks for the insurance
ZL2AL!)
- Not too much QRM, just enough to remind me why I bought those IRC filters and
where the Reverse-CW button is
- Polite callers, willing to persist until we completed
- Hand-logged QSOs with around 70 Johnny Foreigners who evidently hanker to
join the Empire and refused to copy repeated hints that I was working "BERU
RSGB TEST VE VK G ZL ONLY"!  Managed to faze some by sending their call once
with ENN in the hope they would buzz off.
- Filled some more band-spots (thanks J88DR, H40FN, 6Y8XF, 9H3JT and VQ9JC)

Downs:
- Only had time to rig up the 80m inv-Vee at 11m off the tower, running N-S
- Had to hand-rotate the beam with a rope as I'm 10m short of rotator cable
(doh!), necessitating a dozen dashes up the little hill and causing a few
missed Qs
- Missed 9J2BO completely (DXcluster would have helped I'm sure)
- Tired from climbing the tower and hill, needed 3 hours kip on Sunday morning
and lost the will to contest for the last half hour of BERU
- Had to hand-score in Excel since N1MM hasn't a clue

Equipment: TS850, Amp Supply Co LK550, Cushcraft A3S at 14m, 40m roach-pole
vertical, 80m inv-V at 11m and my trusty Morse Machine

73 and thanks for all the QSOs and friendly comments,
Gary  ZL2iFB


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