[3830] ARRLDX CW N7ZG SOAB LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: N7ZG
Operator(s): N7ZG
Station: N7ZG

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Harstine
Operating Time (hrs): 43
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    8     7
   80:   80    18
   40:  418    59
   20:  707    78
   15:  414    77
   10:  122    37
-------------------
Total: 1749   276  Total Score = 1,448,172

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Comments:

The station is coming together nicely.  The CQWW contests in the fall were the
first taste of what the future holds for the new station.  At this point I now
have separate antennas for each band with the SteppIR (now mounted at 70')
fixed pointing east.

Leading up to this years contest the forecast is for a falling solar flux and
the possibility of active geomagnetic conditions.  As it turned out a coronal
hole hit on the second day and the A index climbed up to 18.   

I was looking forward to comparing the results given that the solar flux values
are virtually the same comparing 2011 and 2012.   However the geomagnetic
conditions were quiet last year.

Going into this year I was hoping to attempt a new W7 record.  I felt that if I
could make at least 1000 Qs in then first 24 hours I would have a shot at it.

The JA runs seemed comparable to last year but it was really nice having
separate antennas for the high bands.   This is necessary for SO2R.   JAs
seemed plentiful on 15 and 20.   I felt loud into EU on the new 40M beam and
had a blast just like the time I had in the fall contests.   The JA runs on 40
the first night seemed OK but 80 never materialized.   The second night is when
the auroral conditions hit.   That would explain the complete absence of any EU
on 40M.   The funny thing is that the JA propagation seemed better the second
night as a consolation prize.   EU runs on 20 and 15 were solid both days.   80
was slow both nights.   160 was a total bust the first night but was better the
second (go figure!).

Due to the poor conditions I missed the goal of 1000 Qs the first night.   The
count was about 850.   I scrambled a bit the second day trying to see if a run
at the record could be made.   In the end I made 150 more Qs than the record
score.   But I had a 300,000 point shortfall in the score due to 75 fewer
mults.    The record was set in 2002 at the apex of the last solar cycle.   A
higher solar flux would easily give me the mults needed.   So, this will have
to wait till next year (fingers crossed).  

The DX was pretty run of the mill this year but the most memorable contact was
Nepal (9N1II) calling in on 10M during my JA run in the last the last 10
minutes of the contest.

I'll be sitting out the ARRL DX SSB contest this year.  The next major will be
the WPX SSB contest.

73, Guy


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