[3830] ARRLDX SSB P40L(@P40L/P49Y) M/S HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: P40L
Operator(s): K0DQ, N4OC, W6LD
Station: P40L/P49Y

Class: M/S HP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 48

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:  213    46
   80:  738    59
   40: 1236    59
   20: 1537    61
   15: 2155    61
   10: 2891    10
-------------------
Total: 8770   343  Total Score = 9,006,837

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

When Scott, K0DQ, inquired about the availability of the P40L/P49Y station for
the ARRL DX SSB contest, we let him know that I was planning on operating
myself that weekend, but I was not that excited about a 48 hour single op
effort.  We quickly settled on a plan for him and Ed, N4OC, to team up with me
in for a multi-single effort to attempt to reprise their first place finish
from 2010.

In the end, we achieved approximately 1250 more contacts (great to have healthy
openings on both 10 and 15 meters) but were beaten by the guys at PJ2T on the
neighboring island who bested us by approximately 30 QSOs and 5 mults (all 160
meters).  Congrats to the PJ2T crew on a great job! 

The first night was difficult.  The low bands were very noisy and we probably
made some poor band changes.   Also, we were hampered by tuning issues and
repeated  faults (both soft and hard) by the back-up Alpha 87A which we had to
use (despite its flakiness) for the contest due to a blown electrolytic
capacitor in the Alpha 91b power supply shortly before the contest.  

Five hours into the contest, we were over 200 QSOs behind Andy’s (P49Y/AE6Y)
single-op pace from the prior year.   Despite lots of hard work throughout the
slow early morning hours, when 10 meters suddenly “switched” on at around
1230z, we were still about 130 Qs behind Andy’s prior year pace. 
Fortunately, with the high rates possible throughout the day due to very good
conditions on 10 and 15 meters, we were able to recover and finish the contest
about 950 Qs ahead of his single-op effort. 

In the process, we had a lot of fun and learned a great deal about the
equipment and the ins and outs of operating this contest from the southern
Caribbean.   Scott and I handled most of the high rate daytime hours, while Ed
slugged it out during many of tough, but key, early morning hours.  During most
of the contest, we had a "partner" op using the Win-Test partner mode to support
the primary run "op", helping to copy calls and make sure we got them into log
correctly.  The rates were exhilarating at times with several hours exceeding
300 Qs, including a 341 and 343 hour.

Outside of the contest, we enjoyed the island and the social aspects being
there, including a dinner that will all our xyls during which we made an effort
(with limited success) to curtail discussion of contesting related matters, and
the customary post-contest dinner that included Carl and Sue (AI6V/P49V and
AI6YL/P40YL), Randy (P43W, the President of the Aruba Amateur Radio Club) and
Bob (W5AJ/P40P, who had operated the contest single-op from Carl’s place
using Carl’s P40V call).

As always, thanks for all the Qs!

73,

John
W6LD/P40L


Station:
Rigs: Elecraft K3s (2), with P3s (2)
Amps: Alpha 86, Alpha 87A

Antennas:
C31XR at 43 feet
2 elements 10 meter at 55 feet
5 elements 15 meter at 55 feet
4 elements 20 meter at 68 feet (with high SWR)
2 elements 40 meter at 76 feet
1 element 80 meter Sigma 80 at 64 feet
160 meter "Double L" vertical at 67 feet
Four 400-500 foot beverages using K9AY switching box/preamp
Logging software: Win-Test operating in "partner" mode on three networked
computers


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