[3830] CQWW CW LP1H(LU5DX) SOAB(A) HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: LP1H
Operator(s): LU5DX
Station: LU5HM

Class: SOAB(A) HP
QTH: Cordoba
Operating Time (hrs): 48
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   34     7        7
   80:   92    19       45
   40: 1056    33      106
   20: 1361    34      115
   15: 2139    32      106
   10:  369    22       64
------------------------------
Total: 5048   147      453  Total Score = 8,911,200

Club: LU Contest Group

Comments:

The Quest for 10 M points from LU SOAB(A).


Certainly not an easy task from far South. Way too far away from USA and Europe
specially from 40 M and below. The low bands are slow and whilst stations
near or above the equator are running fast on 20/40/80 and even 160 we struggle
to make contacts with signals usually bellow the summer QRN level.
Certainly we celebrate each time we have below S9 of QRN on the low bands for
either CQ WW Dx SSB or CW, but that only happens a couple of times every
ten years at most, and it certainly was not the case this year.

Last year for example, I managed to work only 4 stations on 80. Not a single
one on 160. The QRN level was above 20 DB over S9 the whole weekend. Not even
RX antennas will work since signals were way too attenuated to make it even
worse.

Despite all that there is always room for improvement and that's what we
planned with Ramon LU5HM for CQ WW CW. We read about Tonno ES5TV's SO3R effort
from 4O3A for the SSB contest and decided to give it a try. I must really thank
Ramón and Ramuco LU7HE because they are always willing to help me with
my crazy ideas :-)

Ramon even arranged what necessary to fix the 40 M antenna which went QRT the
first night during CQ WW SSB, at first it looked like the balun went QRT, 
but after replacing it the antena would still show infinite SWR. So they took
the antenna down the weekend before CQ WW. He also he fixed the 15 M and 40
rotors and strung 2 new beverages. 
Since there is space restriction at LP1H he arranged what was necessary with
the neighbors to install the wires among the trees.

So the  SO3R boxes allowed for sharing audio between the three TRX. Audio could
be combined in pairs, e.g.: Rig A + Rig B (Left-Right), Rig A + C 
(Left-Right),Rig B + C (Left right) and also, select one of the three rigs to
listen in both ears. A, B or C, and Eventually Rig A (left ear) + Rig B+C
(right ear).

Antennas were shared through the six pack between the two main TRX and the
third TRX had a devoted KT34XA, a double bazooka for 3.5 and the 160 M
antenna.

I spent the month days after CQ WW SSB, analyzing last year's log and making
conclusions and identifying areas where improvement was necessary. 
We determined that due to the low rate during the first night we should take
advantage of N1MM's dueling CQ capability to keep up the rate CQing on 40 and 
20 M. The goal this year was 5500 Qs and 10 M points. A big increase compared
to last year's 6.4 M final score.

Two things had to happen to make it possible: low level of QRN on the low bands
and 10 meters in good shape, at least just like during the SSB leg.

I arrived in LP1H Wednesday night. We started testing everything right away,
everything seemed to be ready for the contest. Marked the amps, tested the
audio
box. Ramón installed an additional 160 M Inverted V. On Thursday and it
performed as expected.

So the station configuration was as follows:

2 X IC 775 DSP (Sharing the following antennas thru an array solutions Six
Pack: 2el M2 Yagi  for 80 M, 3el JVP Yagi for 40 M, 5el M2 Yagi for 20, 6el M2
yagi for 15 and 7el M2 Yagi for 10.

1 X FT 1000 MP (with a dedicated homebrew antenna switch by LU7HE with the
following antennas connected: 160 Antennas, 80 M Double bazooka, KT34XA
tribander)

The RX beverages could be routed to either of the three TRX.

I ran predictions using VOACAP based on SFI 85 and K index of 3. Since running
all these predicions takes time I was hoping for Solar activity to be 
somewhat like that or better, but it actually never went above 80.

Everything was ready, so after a welcome BBQ I listened to 80 and 160 for a
couple hours and then went to bed.

Friday morning was spectacular, a totally clear sky and the sun shining bright.
Nevertheless, the weather forecast predicted T-Storms for the rest of the
weekend!The low bands in fact were extremely noisy reaching the peak on Sunday
between 0 to 12 UTC. 

The beverages were listening okay, even though we were not using an external
preamp.Just the built in preamps of the IC 775s.

I catched as much sleep as possible Friday afternoon and woke up at 2300 UTC.
Took an extra shower took snacks and meals to the shack for the weekend.

The contest started okay on 20, a bit behind the hourly goal. I was gonna start
on 15 just like last year, but instead started on 20.Did check 10 m but it 
was already closed. The QRN was so high that it was hard to pay attention to
the second and third radios. I really needed to focus on the running radio to 
keep up the rate.

I hit 40 quite early since 20 started drying up soon after 1 UTC.The US runs on
40 were nice the first night. EU was much better the second night. There were
some really strong stations on the low bands. Being W3LPL the strongest on 160
80 and 40 from the US. 

At around 15 UTC the sun right above our station produces a very strong
attenuation so started dueling CQs on 15/10 to keep up the rate. But 10 did
not
really open for us. I was able to hear southern stations run and run but at our
location the band was only okay to catch some mults.
Stayed on 15 as the main run band for the remaining of the afternoon, till 19
UTC when 20 started to produce a high
rate. Also went to 40 quite early to catch some South East Asia mults while
running on 20. And then wanted to do something I did not do in a long time, 
that is, running EU early in the afternoon, at the expense of a higher rate on
the high bands, but it's really nice to increase the 40 m QSO total.
Still was able to S&P a lot on 20/15/10 whilst CQing on 40.

By the halfmark almost 3000 Qs were in the log and I was pretty satisfied with
the QSO totals though the 10 M goal seemed far away, but I was feeling 
confident. 
By that time I had not left the chair a single second,  so I planned to take a
short bio break when the rate slowed down usually 
around 5 UTC on Sunday. All the workout and excersicing the months prior to the
contest seemed to be paying off, since I was feeling really ok 
despite the strongest ever sciatica I can remember which started two weeks b4
the contest. Still in pain, I kept riding 200 miles/week on bike to keep in 
shape.

In the end it was a 48 hour radio marathon again. I missed the objective for
about 1 M points, but still feel okay because the station can provide even 
more than that so we'll give it a shot again next year. 

Thanks everyone who gave LP1H a call. We really appreciate it.

This participation would have been impossible without the strong support and
kind help from Ramon LU5HM, Ramuco LU7HE and Monica.



Martin, LU5DX (Op at LP1H - 2010 CQ WW DX CW - SOAB(A) HP - SO3R).


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