[3830] ARRLDX SSB K9RS M/S HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: K9RS
Operator(s): W2GD, WA2VUY, N3DXX, W3CF, K9RS
Station: K9RS

Class: M/S HP
QTH: PA
Operating Time (hrs): 48

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   28    27
   80:  229    76
   40:  438    95
   20: 1028   108
   15: 1232   113
   10:  219    86
-------------------
Total: 3174   505  Total Score = 4,790,430

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

Station:  K3 x 2, FT9000, Alpha 87A x 2
On 80' R45G tower:  160 4sq, 80 4sq, F12 C31XR x 2, F12 Delta 40M 2el x 2, 
F12 C3 fixed south
On rotating 40' rocket launcher mast:  F12 C19XR
RX Antennas:  500' NE bev, K9AY, Hex Beam @ 25'
Win-Test Software

(Some Commentary by W2GD/P40W)

WOW ... A phone contest that was almost fun!  A timely rise in solar activity
this week couldn't have come soon enough.  There's nothing worse than a phone
DX contest with mediocre high band conditions (how many years have we been
suffering through this?).  But with the flux well over 125 we sure expected
more from 10 meters.  Maybe it takes time for the ionosphere to get adequently
energized for dependable long haul communications?  The WPX Phone event later
this month might provide us all more insight on this topic.

Earlier in the week I had the pleasure of helping prepare 8P5A for the contest.
 After three days of antenna maintenance projects and discussing the finer
points of operating strategy and station design with Tom (W2SC)I left Barbados
Wednesday afternoon psyched for the coming weekend's M/S operation at K9RS. 

Fortunately high winds over the previous weekend didn't do any signficant
damage at K9RS. But after struggling to work mults Saturday morning we
discovered the rotating mast supporting the mult position tribander had been
turned 90 degrees ... no big harm done, repairs easy made.  

Due to work commitments, the station was short handed over the nightime
periods, but we managed to keep things going the full 48 hours. Not having a
full crew resulted in some inefficiency chasing 160 and 80 mults the first
night which would never be recovered.  

40M has gotten so much better since the BC stations moved out and R1/R3/R3 all
share a common allocation.  A total hoot running VK/ZL after EU sunrise.... the
40M stack rocks.  

20M openned before local sunrise with depth and vigor.  Some nice hours and so
many new licencees with PD, IW, M1, etc. callsigns running low power to work. 
But when the MUF went high, the dropoff in activity was like someone turned off
the lights.

15M was the money band this time out....sounding like 20M with wall to wall
stations (with plenty of poorly tuned amplifiers spewing out buckshot just like
20M).  Found it difficult to find a run frequency but when we did it was off to
the races.  Lots of over the pole AS mults and a far share of AF stations
called in too.  

It appears we moved to 10M a little late the first day and missed the AS LP
opening.  But on the second day it sure was fun to run EU direct path for an
hour or two.  Maybe this trend will finally continue.

We were most fortunate to have W3CF and WA2VUY join us on Saturday and Sunday
to share the operating load.  

Congratulations to the K1LZ team for their record-breaking score.

Now onward to WPX PH.

73,

John W2GD


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