[3830] IOTA 9A/AC6DD SO24CW HP

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                    IOTA Contest

Call: 9A/AC6DD
Operator(s): AC6DD
Station: 9A/AC6DD

Class: SO24CW HP
QTH: EU-110
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  CW Mults  Ph Qs  Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
   80:    65      13                
   40:   408      41                
   20:   617      60                
   15:   224      32                
   10:    16       6                
----------------------------------------
Total:  1330     152      0        0  Total Score = 1,224,816

Club: 

Comments:

The last time I spent some time in Porec was over 25 years ago, living on bread,
pasteta (liverworst), beer and wine while playing guitar for tips. With Tito's
picture everywhere drinks were cheap and girls were very very friendly.

Times change.  With the help of Sergio - IZ4BBF who visited the Sv.Nikola
Island several times I secured a location in one of the hotel Bungalows.  Quite
run down, these are being used as temporary staff housing during the turist
season. I was given a choice of two different vacant units, and luckily one of
them was close to the water for my Vertical antenna.  I started setting up on
Thursday evening. When I was able to get on the air a few hours later I started
finding a multitude of problems with my setup.  The TS-50 has been sitting at my
parents place, unused for 4 years, the SB200 amplifier was sitting in my garage
gathering dust for at least 10 years (a last minute decision to bring it with
me and leave here), and the Butternut vertical which I never made a QSO with
since I bought it used some 3 years ago. I entered the contest unable to get a
decent match on 80m, every slight move of the antenna would de-tune it.  
A few hours after the contest started we had a massive storm with heavy winds
and lightning strikes hitting nearby.  Conditions got bad, than an hour later
better and than got worse again.  Things did not look too good. I did not think
the antenna would make it through the storm, and at times I thought about
disconnecting the coax from the rig.
I took a dinner break, and after I returned from dinner the static crashes died
down.  I mostly concentrated on 20 and 40 meters.  The antenna ended up with an
8:1 SWR on the low end of 80m, but the amp still tuned into it and delivered
some 200-300W. I was able to make 65 QSO's on 80.  20m was clearly the band of
choice.  Later in the night 40 meters was doing great, and the next morning the
storm was gone and the bands quiet.  I ended the contest with 1330 QSO, most
were made CQ-ing.  
The operator and the setup were lacking a bit on this one.  After a recent
Automobile accident I had trouble sitting for a prolonged period of time and
the TS-50 just isn't the radio for this kind of work  - After a long residence
in Europe it is going back to the US to be used as a mobile rig again to be
replaced next time with one of my K2's.  I had a great time, just wish the
bands sounded like this in W6.

I will post a short video later on youtube.

Niko - AC6DD

EQUIPMENT:
TS-50S, SB200, HF6V VERTICAL


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