[3830] IARU AB1OD M/S LP

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                    IARU HF World Championship

Call: AB1OD
Operator(s): AB1OD
Station: AB1OD

Class: M/S LP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs  Zones  HQ Mults
-------------------------------------
  160:   23      0      4        3
   80:   57      3     10       17
   40:   83      9     17       26
   20:  149     18     22       40
   15:  114     26     20       35
   10:   34      7     11        7
-------------------------------------
Total:  460     63     84      128  Total Score = 1

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

I really should have listened to my elmer who once advised, "don't bother with a
microphone; they're bad for you."  My log is going in as a checklog because of a
stupid rookie mistake -- despite the 10 minute band-change rule being called
"the 10 minute band-change rule" in conversation, I failed to notice that in in
the rules it's a band/mode change rule.

I had the spotting window open, and planned to submit a M/S accordingly.
However, looking through my log, there were a couple of times I switched to
phone before the 10 minutes were up.  If only I hadn't sinned, and gone over to
the dark side of sideband.

Oh well.  I've said that I contest because it's fun to make contacts, to
witness propagation changes, and to further my efforts towards the Quixote
award.   But perhaps that sense of "d'oh!" I feel is a hint that I might also
like the competitive aspect too.

I'm sending in this report just in case anyone's compiling band stats, or
archiving anecdotes of this year's running.

I generally like the format of the contest -- 24 hours,
everybody-works-everybody, and (despite my comments above) the choice of modes.
 I'd like it more if there were a single-op assisted category...but their
contest, their rules.  Next year I'll either compete blind, or play from the
beginning with the intent of submitting a checklog, because I really didn't
like the shackles of the 10-minute rule even when I thought it was just a
band-change constraint.

Conditions were mediocre, but better than I was afraid they were going to be
with the flares last week, and the forecast of the CME impact.   

I was able to stay busy Saturday until bedtime.  15 was thankfully productive. 
10 was a tease, offering a few non-Western-hemisphere contacts, and enough NA
and SA activity to justify investing spending at least 10 minutes at a stretch
there.  40 was crowded Saturday evening, and 80 was more productive than I
would have expected at this time of year.

Even topband was surprisingly decent, with DA0HQ, II2E, and TM0HQ all appearing
in my log.   I heard W1AW/7 and the west coast, but sadly was unable to make any
progress on 160 WAS in that direction.  Having my 160m contact with RI1ANF a
couple of weeks ago come through LOTW during the test was icing on the topband
cake. 

While many would observe that my modest station is still woefully inadequate
for serious topband work, the new 160m antenna is definitely better than what I
had last year and I'm feeling optimistic about how it might play when the
seasons turn.

Despite their mediocrity, the bands were decent enough for me to work all
continents on 4 bands (15-80), and to pick up a couple of new ones on the low
bands.  I heard Carrie E51TAI booming in here on 10, but sadly I couldn't get
through the pileup.  I also would have loved to work 3V8BB on 75 phone; he had
a good signal at my location but-for the ragchew going on just below him.

I went QRT around 2am local, when things seemed to slow down, figuring that
that was the end of the test for me.  However, the dog woke me up 2½ hours
later because of wildlife in the yard, and I decided to head back to the shack
and see if I could get a few more Q's in the log.

Background noise on both 40 and 80 were higher when I got back in the shack. 
Nevertheless, I worked several zone 7 & 8 stations waiting to see if sunrise
would bring good DXing.

The answer to that question was "meh".   I was able to get a few VK's and ZL's
in the log as the sky brightened, although a couple of those were arguably more
via telepathy than RF.

Morning greyline: proof that sleep deprivation enhances psychic abilities.

Spent a little more time waiting for 20 to open to Europe.  Heard hints, but
never anything workable given my modest setup.  Eventually, I decided that my
day would be better started by taking a nap...and that's what I did.

Station:
Elecraft K3, no amp
80m Carolina windom @ 20m
160m Carolina windom @ ~12m

Thanks for the Q's.  See some of you next weekend in the RTTY NAQP.


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