[3830] ARRLDX CW VE6TL SOAB HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: VE6TL
Operator(s): VE6TL
Station: VE6TL

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Calgary
Operating Time (hrs): 31

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    1     1
   80:   25    17
   40:  102    57
   20:  378    77
   15:  378    79
   10:  101    31
-------------------
Total:  980   262  Total Score = 770,280

Club: ALBERTA CLIPPERS

Comments:

Condx were much better than last year and I set a new personal best for this
contest.  I almost doubled my time in the chair and tripled my score.  On the
plus side, Friday evening had excellent propagation on 40m but my local noise
problem killed the signals on 80 and 160m.  I got at least a decent showing on
80m thanks to my MFJ noise canceller and having two vertical antennas that
provided discrimination on local noise.  Ironically, the expensive SteppIR
BigIR was my noise antenna and the piece of old coax on my tower was the signal
antenna.  Gave me 20dB of attenuation (but only on 80m).  Was also amazed to see
15m and 20m so close in mults and Qs.  The late afternoons on 15m were quiet and
JAs with even 5W (there were many) just boomed in.  

On the negative side, we had a high speed solar wind on Saturday night that
drove Bz negative and should have been outside looking at the aurora instead of
trying to work DX.  Didn't waste that much time though, and caught up on some
sleep.  The main disappointment was not hearing or working any VK, ZS, or any
exotic DX.  I did hear a few massive pileups but not operating assisted, could
not tell who they were working.  The feeding frenzy didn't allow the operator
to give his call very often, so I couldn't afford to wait half an hour to find
out.  

All in all, it was a lot of fun and nice to see 15m open after several years of
being closed.  And 10m was good to Central/South America/ZL but not much else. 
Still, that's a lot better than Sporadic E, which was all we had for years. 
See y'all next year when things are even better!

Jerry VE6TL

Rig:  FTDX-5000MP
Ant:  TH6DXX Tribander at 13m, BigIR Vert (80-10) and Shunt-fed Tower
(80/160m)
Amp:  FL7000 (about 500W max)
Software:  N1MM


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