[3830] ARRL 10 W1WBB SO CW LP

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                    ARRL 10-Meter Contest

Call: W1WBB
Operator(s): W1WBB
Station: W1WBB

Class: SO CW LP
QTH: RI
Operating Time (hrs): 18.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   CW:  353    79
  SSB:           
-------------------
Total:  353    79  Total Score = 111,548

Club: CT RI Contest Group

Comments:

The long distance conditions were not ideal... it was more like 2 yrs ago in
2010 -- with very similar solar flux levels (just below 100) and sunspot
numbers below 40 -- than last year's **great** DX blockbuster.

As many as 57 fewer DX (CW) mults this year compared to last year due to almost
total lack of propagation to Europe.

Mult breakdown:  42 USA, 7 VE, 7 Mex, + 23 DX = 79 total
                 23 DX mults by continent: 5 Eu, 5 NA, 9 SA, 2 AFr, 1 AS, 1 OC

                 Missed states:  NJ, DE, KY, AR, MS, WY, ND & SD   

Had 203 Qs/61 mults (just 13 DX mults) and about 50k pts thru Sat eve.  Slow
going Sunday with fewer good CQ rates and much S&P for new mults and new stns,
but stayed at it to hit the 100k pt mark.  Happy to have the XE mults who
*were* active on CW...hope for more activity in future years as many XE mult 
slots go unfilled. 

Highlight QSO was with A45XR via Long Path on Sunday AM @ 1515Z...well past
sunset in Oman.  Also, cool to be called by KL7RA after hearing just 'AK' in a
nearby exchange, then quickly moving up band to call CQ hoping he'd call
in...and he did for new mult!

Excellent Es openings all 3 evenings out to ~ 1200 miles (Nebr. and OK were
furthest worked) lasting more than 2 hrs each with interesting and different
spotlight propagation each day... ie. -  only 1 FL in log until late Sunday
when the band just opened up to there with lots in the log; plenty of AL, TN &
MO each eve but no nearby MS or AR; many WI, IL and IA but no MN until late Sat
eve when a bunch were suddenly worked in a string; and Fri eve had short Es to
VA, WV and OH and later out to TN, GA and AL but skipped over the Carolinas!

Hampered significantly by recent loss of Rx audio/Tx capability in bottom
20-30+ kHz (varies) of band due to misalignment problem in rig PLL system.  I'm
sure I lost some Q's and mults because of *that* big problem.  Doublet antenna
suffered high SWR during weekend rainy periods and was used only Sunday.

Rig/ant:  ca. 1992 Icom IC-737 (due for repair!) @ 100w;  5-band Hexbeam with
10m elements at 33' above ground; 88' wire doublet @ ~ 45' with gain lobes to
multiple areas of S/A, S. Afr. and WNW (primarily used for quick-change for DX
mults);  N1MM Logger.

Many thanks for the contacts on 10m!  The rapid propagation changes on this
band always makes this an interesting and fun event.   73,  Bill  W1WBB


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