[3830] ARRLDX CW ND0C SOAB QRP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: ND0C
Operator(s): ND0C
Station: ND0C

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: Minnesota
Operating Time (hrs): 28

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:   16    12
   40:   46    32
   20:  161    64
   15:  137    52
   10:   44    27
-------------------
Total:  404   187  Total Score = 226,644

Club: Minnesota Wireless Association

Comments:

Well that was really fun!  My intentions at the start, as I had told my wife,
was to "just dabble a little" this weekend and not really make a serious
effort.  That plan was abandoned fairly quickly when I realized that I was
having some decent success Friday night despite my mediocre antenna for 40 and
80.  And then Saturday morning when 15 was strong and 10 opened, I just got
sucked in!

I missed the first 45 minutes Friday night since we went out to eat, and after
all, I was just going to "dabble" - right?  But 20 still had some life so I
worked it, primarily to the south, until it played out.  Then it was on to the
world of QRP misery: 40 and 80.  But it really wasn't too bad!  At times I
seemed to be getting through well, but of course at other times it was really
hard work to complete the QSO.  As always, thanks to the patience, persistence
and good ears out there as the DX pulled me out of the noise and splatter. 
There are some really awesome operators out there!

I know this is a common and recurring complaint - but what's the deal with the
stations that just won't ID?  I don't get it.  Oh sure it is supposedly faster
for them, but that seems very arrogant and selfish.  For those of us that are
unassisted, we have to wait until the DX feels like dropping their call (every
6th or 7th QSO) - just to find out I've already worked him.  Great - I just
wasted that time.  And it happened many times - often with some of the same
stations.  

Propagaton seemed pretty good - nice to have ol' Sol wake up for a DX contest! 
It was great to get some production out of 10 meters!  And 15 really was a
"go-to" band for me: an escape from the QRM of the state-side CQ machines and
QSO's were pretty easy.  There was a really nice JA opening Sunday afternoon
and I was able to break 400 QSO's - good for me and my "challenged" antennas
here in the black hole in a non-sun-spot peak year.  I couldn't do much good
into Europe on 80 and the band seemed pretty noisy especially Saturday night
and early Sunday morning (local).  QSB was really deep and fast on several
bands at times.  I noticed some interesting skew path on 10 meters both
Saturday and Sunday AM.  And I heard the same thing on 15 with European signals
as the band was trying to open.  They were peaking at 135 degrees, exactly 90
degrees from the normal bearing.  

I found TJ9PF all alone on 15 morning Saturday morning, listening 1 kHz up.  I
assumed he was in the contest so I called and worked him, but he wasn't giving
a power level, so I didn't log him for the contest - bummer!  I listened for
several minutes as others worked him and he never gave a power level - so
there's no way anybody can claim those QSOs for contest credit.

All-in-all, an awesome weekend on the radio!

Station: Yaesu FT-897D running 5 watts into Wilson SY-3 three element triband
Yagi at 15 meters above ground and an inverted vee with apex at 13 meters.

73,
Randy, ND0C

"You don't have to be crazy to run QRP ... but it helps."


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