[3830] ARRLDX CW VA7ST SOAB HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

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

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 23

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    2     2
   80:   40    20
   40:  136    54
   20:  517    68
   15:  210    55
   10:    3     2
-------------------
Total:  908   201  Total Score = 547,524

Club: British Columbia DX Club

Comments:

Gear:
* FT-2000 + SB221 (~500-700w)
* N1MM Logger, no telnet
* 3 ele. Steppir @ 47'
* 40M Steppir diple @ 47'
* 80M 2-el. vertical array, E or W
* 160M inverted-L 75' vert, 65' horizontal
* 260' short Beverage due east

* 2010 -- SFI=84, A=2, K=1
* 2009 -- SFI=70, A=4, K=1

=================================================

Highlights:
* 15M to Europe -- simply awesome!
Lowlights:
* 80M

=================================================

I published my goals on my website earlier in the week, saying I would "aim for
900 QSOs and 200 mults. This is quite a jump from previous years, but takes into
account rising solar flux and sunspots, which should provide very good European
openings from B.C., and make 15 meters stronger than it has been since 2006 or
so."

Well, the high bands cooperated in a big way, and I ought to predict horse
races I came so close with my prediction. The final hour was agony trying to
find anything I hadn't worked. Slow going, but I landed Q number 900 with a few
minutes to go -- mult #200 was at 2332z, and #201 at 2349z. 

The best 15M opening I can remember in a very long time saw Europe open deep
and wide, and even managed to work Tanzania and South Africa. 

What didn't work well was 80M, where few DX signals were heard. Did hear G and
OK stations on Saturday night, but the twin verticals don't hear nearly as well
to the north as they do east and west. Should have found JAs aplenty, but they
weren't there in any number on either morning.

Had phenomenal pileups on 20M EU both mornings. A wall of sound so dense at
times I couldn't pick out an element, let alone a character of a callsign. That
kept my rate down, but it was fun. I can say that extended Morse Runner practice
pays for itself when you find yourself drinking from a firehose like that. 

Friday night I came home from work to find a wet basement floor -- hot water
tank sprung a leak, so had to contend with that during the evening. The tank is
in the basement near the radio "area." Fortunately, the most important part of
the basement was nice and dry, so once I got the water shut off I was able to
operate while supervising the kids as they operated a mop and bucket. I told
them they were building valuable job skills. I've seen their report cards. 

40M on both nights was great to Europe -- had hoped the twin vertical array
would play well, but found the Steppir dipole to be better, and I didn't have
to worry about pouring all the amplifier's oomph into it. Best-ever 40M outing
in this contest.

Saturday morning I had to cut short my 20M EU run at 1830z to help the plumber
install a new tank. Two hours of prime time lost, though I did sneak in a few
Qs, when the plumber didn't require my assistance. He was impressed when I
explained from the far end of the room that "this station is in Germany, using 
the equivalent of a 100-watt lightbulb.... Got him. And this one is in Hawaii...
There. Got him. And this one is in Brazil..." All in a minute or two. The band
was truly remarkable.

Sunday morning 20M was hot again to Europe, but on a hunch I switched over to
15M at 1642z (about two hours earlier than I usually check it) and was amazed
at the activity -- LOUD European stations from top to bottom of the band. I
knew I was missing out on the 20M frenzy, but the mults were like gold on 15M
and I didn't lose much for rate with so much to work on what felt like a whole
new band.

I was about to call CQ low on 15M and threw out a QRL? A station popped up in
my headphones. A string of dits that shaped themselves into H53EE. No, that's
not right. Must be S53EE. He called CQ, gaining strength, and I realized it was
5H3EE in Tanzania. A quick call and we had it in the log.

A few minutes later, once I had established a run frequency, ZS2NF called in.
That was really great, and I wasn't aiming at 58 degrees (his bearing); rather
he was sandwiched in between Qs with IZ, IK, F5, and EA4 stations with the beam
at less than 30 degrees. The band was in great shape all the way through to
1830z. I tried 10M after that, but just three stations heard and worked, all in
South America, and none very strong here.

Only about six Stateside stations tried to work me this weekend, so the word
must be getting out that BC isn't actually DX :) 

Now, back to regularly scheduled Olympics programming. See everyone in the next
one!

-- Bud, VA7ST
http://www3.telus.net/va7st

Year   QSOs  Mults   Score
----   ----  -----   -------
2010   908   201     547,524 HP
2009   688   163     332,031 HP
2008   504   156     235,872 HP
2007   609   157     286,839 HP
2006   571   176     301,488
2005   444   167     222,444
2004   307   132     121,572
2003   235   122      86,010

             HP       HP       HP       HP       LP       LP
Band       2010     2009     2008     2007     2006     2005
====    =======  =======  =======  =======  =======  =======
160M      2/  2    5/  4   10/  7    0/  0    1/  1    2/  2     
 80M     40/ 20   69/ 35   53/ 25   28/ 20   30/ 24   19/ 17
 40M    136/ 54   86/ 31   72/ 37   73/ 40   84/ 46   69/ 38
 20M    517/ 68  489/ 75  342/ 74  453/ 73  344/ 64  213/ 59
 15M    210/ 55   39/ 18   27/ 13   50/ 22  112/ 41  123/ 40
 10M      3/  2        -        -        -        -   22/  8
-----   -------  -------  -------  -------  -------  -------
Total   908/201  688/163  504/156  609/157  571/176  444/167


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