[3830] ARRLDX SSB 8P5A(W2SC) SOAB HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: 8P5A
Operator(s): W2SC
Station: 8P5A

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Barbados
Operating Time (hrs): 47

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:  265    53
   80:  743    57
   40: 1653    59
   20: 2019    60
   15: 2386    60
   10: 2362    59
-------------------
Total: 9428   348  Total Score = 9,842,832

Club: Northern California Contest Club

Comments:

Definitely an up and down weekend

The first day was nearly identical to the first day last year.  The high bands
were good, but 160 was awful.  In fact 160 was worse than last year with weak
signals and high QRN in the direction of the US.  My first trip to 160 produced
only 15 Q’s and 10 mults.  It got better as the night wore on, but I only had
35 mults after the first night.  After 24 hours, my total score was a few mults
and only 25 Q’s ahead of last year.

The second day started with much better low band conditions and some of the
best 160 meter propagation to the US I have ever heard from 8P.  There were
some truly monumental signals, but not much activity.  Some productive CQ’ing
and moves resulted in a very respectful multiplier total on top band.  However,
the next morning 10 meters was slow to open and was clearly not as good as the
day before.  Signals were clearly down and more difficult to pull out of the
QRM.  As with last year, the rate picked up very late in the contest and I did
247, 253 and 277 in hours  45, 46 and 47.   These were the three best hours of
the second day, but they were exhausting that late in the contest.  I certainly
left some Q’s behind in these hours due to fatigue.  Most disappointing, was
that 20 faded in the final 15 minutes and I had to scramble for contacts to
close the contest.

In the end, I did 7 mults and about 100 Q’s better than last year.  Overall,
I felt great all weekend,  albeit a bit overwhelmed in the final hours.  The
station once again performed flawlessly and was clearly operator limited.

Thanks for the Q’s and the moves

QSL vis NN1N or LoTW

73, Tom W2SC

Equipment

2 X K3, AL1200, Centurion

10  5 element
15  5 element
20  4 element
40  2 element W6NL Moxon
80  Inverted V
160 Inverted L


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