[3830] ARRLDX SSB W6ONV SOAB HP

Tue Mar 8 10:40:53 PST 2011

                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: W6ONV
Operator(s): W6ONV
Station: W6ONV

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Oakley CA
Operating Time (hrs): 13.4

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:    3     3
   40:   14    10
   20:   65    31
   15:  164    50
   10:   69    19
-------------------
Total:  315   113  Total Score = 106,107

Club: Northern California Contest Club

Comments:

What fun!  This was not a serious attempt by any means, I did not even set any
personal goals when I fired up the shack at the start of the contesting and was
surprised by the propagation on 15M. I had a great run of JAs in that first
hour. I only put in one hour making 52 QSOs before an unexpected problem drew
me away.

I would return about 22z and be even more surprised with the activity on 10M.
Never having experienced good solar conditions, I thought this was the best I
had heard since I was licensed. I ended up working SA, as well as picking up
some JAs. I did move to 20M and work the Caribbean as well as SA.

Minutes after 00z I picked up ZL50VK and ZL3TE on 10M, but would go back to
20M, flip flopping bands for the next hour or so. I finished up about 02z
working another nice run on 15M and more SA stations on 20M.

I did return about 4 hours later for 40/80M, but it was difficult managing only
17 Qs between the 2 bands on the BigIR. As fortune would have it, my plans for
Sunday were rained out, so I dedicated about 9 hours to the contest.

Much like the start of the contest, I was thrilled to be working 10/15M
predominately. I had very little 20M activity and looking at my score this was
the first contest in which 15M and more surprisingly 10M had more Qs! Hopefully
that is a sign of good things to come. I was able to work EU on 15M and 20M. I
did have a great path into Italy for about 15 minutes. All in all 20% of my
QSOs were EU, even more surprising was 35% from SA, thanks to the propagation
on 10/15M.

I am sure the multiplier count would have been higher if I would have started
chasing new DX, but I was just thrilled to be working all the DX I could hear,
really didn't want to spend time in a pile up. My best QSO in the contest was
with E51CG. I was working 20M into EU at 18z on Sunday when I saw the E5 spot
and moved to 10 only to hear him 5/9! I threw my call out (still pointed to EU)
and amazingly he answered!

All in all a great time, I enjoyed all the activity and was pleased with how I
scored, which beat my previous 2 years participating in some fashion. You can
read the rest of my soapbox at
http://the6thfloor.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/2011-arrl-dx-ssb/

73 Steve W6ONV

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