[3830] ARRLDX SSB W6QU(W8QZA) SOAB QRP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: W6QU
Operator(s): W8QZA
Station: W8QZA

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: San Diego
Operating Time (hrs): 36

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    1     1
   80:    6     4
   40:   38    14
   20:  133    55
   15:  128    42
   10:   36     8
-------------------
Total:  342   124  Total Score = 127,224

Club: San Diego Contest Club

Comments:

Rig: Elecraft K-2, 5 Watts output

Antennas:

10-15-20  3 el SteppIR up 10 meters
40-80     Butternut HF-2V vertical
160       Inverted L put up at the last minute!
_____________________________________________________

I agree with other submitters that conditions were considerably worse in this
contest than over the CW weekend two weeks ago. I had no openings to Europe on
15 M on Saturday, and a weak half hour opening on Sunday that was good for
about six Qs (...and 5 mults!).

My best Q was with JT1CO late Saturday on 20 M. That is a tough area for me to
get into even using CW.

After enviously watching the 160 M totals of other QRP contestants over the
years, I finally decided to try something besides my low DX-LB trap dipole. 
With technical consultation from my life long friend Phil (N0KE) I bought a 60
foot fiberglass telescoping pole from Spiderbeam, and ran some wire up it and
out to our back fence. It actually seemed to work when I worked KH7X and got a
partial with KH7XS on 160. I had only one previous Q with Hawaii on 160 in the
last 20 years and that was a letter by letter CW Q some years back with my low
DX-LB.

Unfortunately, a storm front came through on Saturday nite and I thought I
better take it down. I had no guys on it and it was whipping all over the
place.

I was delighted with the no. of JA stations that participated in this contest.
I had 85 Qs with JA stations (out of 342 total) which reminded me of years gone
by. I was amazed at the number of Asiatic Russian stations that I had in my log:
20. I exclusively use QRP, and over the last few years I have been happy to have
even one or two UA9-0s in my log at the end of a contest.

I slept 4 1/2 hrs the first night and 2 hrs the second night. With these couple
extra hours I didn't have the minor hallucinations and confusion I had at times
in the past. ....and that had to be worth a couple of Qs and mults!

When conditions seem to be disappointing I remember that they were MUCH worse
two years ago where I didn't have a single European Q. And we have the entire
cycle ahead of us!

73 and see you in WPX SSB!

....Bill  W8QZA / W6QU


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