[3830] ARRLDX SSB AE5PW SOAB LP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: AE5PW
Operator(s): AE5PW
Station: AE5PW

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:           
   40:    9     9
   20:   44    31
   15:   56    38
   10:   60    27
-------------------
Total:  169   105  Total Score = 53,235

Club: 

Comments:

Wow, what a weekend. I first got on HF in May, 2008.  Around that time, the
solar flux constantly sat at 66-70 (70 was a good day).  Now, nearly three
years later, the solar flux had more than doubled to 143 by the time the
contest was ending on Sunday.  Amazing.

I never cease to be impressed by what I can work with a very simple setup. 
Running just 100 watts from my Yaesu FT950 to a Butternut HF9V vertical (ground
mounted), I managed to  rack up quite a few contacts (by my standards).  I had
to sit in pileups for a while to get some of them, but patience is a must when
you use a vertical and low power.  Thank goodness for voice keying software.
 
Sunday afternoon as 10 meters was starting to sound dead, I managed to work
ZL3IO in New Zealand at 2143 and then moments later worked E51SC in South Cook
Islands at 2146.  The next thing I knew they were both gone.  Those were my
first contacts with both of those entities on 10m.

My entire effort was Search and Pounce, and I was definitely assisted by the
Cluster. Most of my time was spent on 15 and 10.  It was nice to hear P40A
running QRP 5 watts... they had a big signal on both 10 and 20 when I worked
them.  

Hopefully this uphill trend in solar conditions will continue.  Just how many
can I work with just this vertical?  I guess time will tell.


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/