[3830] ARRLDX CW 5W0OU M/S LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: 5W0OU
Operator(s): N7OU, W7YAQ
Station: 5W0OU

Class: M/S LP
QTH: Apia, Samoa
Operating Time (hrs): 48

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   69    29
   80:  170    40
   40:  686    57
   20:  307    44
   15: 1052    59
   10:   55    21
-------------------
Total: 2339   250  Total Score = 1,754,250

Club: Willamette Valley DX Club

Comments:

Another N7OU/W7YAQ ARRL DX Contest DXpedition entry is in the books.  We
expected this operation to be from ZK3, but there has not been a ship sailing
in that direction since our arrival in Samoa because of tropical cyclones.  So
for the backup plan, we set up at the Vaiala Beach Cottages about a half-mile
east of the Apia harbor.  The property has north over water exposure in a quiet
neighborhood.  A primitive road and barbed wire fence separates the property
from the water.  

We ran one K3 at 100 watts and rotated 3-hour shifts for the 48-hours.  We had
a HF9V for 80 thru 10, located about 50 feet from the water (with chain linked
fence topped by barbed wire, and power lines between us and the water), and a
MA160V vertical about 100 feet from the water for 160.  Friday morning we
decided to try to take advantage of one 60-foot tall palm on the corner of the
property, and Bill (the master with the slingshot) fired a line over the top in
the morning calm.  We were then able to build and raise a simple 15 meter wire
ground plane antenna with 2 radials to about 40 feet off the ground.  The
ground plane gave us a couple of S units over the HF9 on 15, and proved to be a
good move as 15 meters conditions were great the whole contest.

160 Meters:  All but 3 QSOs were made the first night.  Condx were OK, but we
had lots of power line noise and did not have the time/space to put up our RX
antennas.  Apologies to those in the noise we failed to pull out.

80 Meters:  Most QSOs made the first night.  Condx not as good as last year
from T27A – 170 QSOs versus 316 in 2009.

40 Meters:  First night was good.  Second night condx were fabulous to Europe,
but unfortunately the whole of W/VE was missing during what should be prime
time from 0500-1000 UTC.

20 Meters:  Also mostly missing in action.  From this QTH got a brief flurry
when the band opened at 1730 UTC sunrise, but then condx changed and everyone
was aimed at EU.  Also a brief opening 0200-0400 UTC, but generally we were
really disappointed in QSO and Mult count.

15 Meters:  The money band all weekend!!  40% of all QSOs were on this band. 
Very happy with the ground plane.  Signals strong from all over North America. 
1052 QSOs versus only 66 from T27A in 2009.

10 Meters:  All QSOs (except one) were made in a half hour opening Saturday
morning 1827-1857 UTC.  Disappointed we didn’t have another as we could hear
TX4T and KH6’s working stateside at other times.

Tnx to the ARRL and all you guys and gals for making this contest so much fun
from the DX end.

QSL via N7OU or LOTW (to be posted after return stateside)

73,
Bob W7YAQ / 5W0YA
Bill N7OU / 5W0OU


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