[3830] Commonwealth VE3FU Open-24 HP

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                    RSGB Commonwealth Contest, CW

Call: VE3FU
Operator(s): VE3FU
Station: VE3FU

Class: Open-24 HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
   80:   69
   40:  190
   20:  166
   15:  152
   10:   39
------------
Total:  616  Total Score = 6,820

Club: Contest Club Ontario

Comments:

Tower 1
160m: Inverted-L (72ft vertical)
40m: 402-CD (2-el)
20/15/10m: Explorer-14 (fixed NE) at 50ft

Tower 2
80m: Wire Vertical
20/15/10m: TH-6 at 72ft (rotatable, only working on 10m), TH-6 at 42ft (fixed
SW)

Reversible Beverages: 60/240° 300ft/90m long, 150/330° 200ft/61m long

TS-950SD, TS-850S
2x TL-922 (tnx VO1AU!)

----------------------------------

Like many have already commented, condx weren’t great and the bands were
noisy.  Despite the condx, this is my second highest score ever, and third
highest QSO total.  I had considered going back to VO2 again this year for the
BERU as redemption for my poor showing from there last year.  There was a CME a
day or two before the start last year and my score showed it.  What are the
chances of a CME in the days leading up to the BERU two years in a row?  I
guess we all know now :=)  Maybe next year I’ll head back to VO2??

I always seem to get off to a slow start, fall behind the leaders early, and
can never seem to catch up.  This year was no different.

This was my first time using SO2R in the BERU.  I spent a lot of time tuning
the other bands for stations I hadn’t worked already.  I made a lot of second
radio QSOs that I would likely not have made if I were using just one radio.  If
it weren’t for the second radio, I probably would have missed all or part of
the 10m opening to the UK.  In fact, I heard 10m open, close, and then open
again.  Knowing what I know now, I should have gone SO2R years ago :=)  In the
past I’ve spent the long time between QSOs reading magazines, especially
during the early morning hours.

VK’s and ZL’s were loud on 40 between 1145Z and 1230Z

The bands shut down completely for about 30 minutes around 1730Z.  Tuning
around 20m I could hear a rushing noise, increasing and decreasing in
intensity, coming and going in waves.  The only signals I could hear were on
15m: 5H3EE and a couple of locals calling him.  The bands picked up (relative)
pretty quickly after that.

Jumping between bands on the second radio around 0130, I heard a loud GM3POI
calling CQ on 20m.  Tuning around, I didn’t hear any other G’s and my
CQ’s didn’t scare any up.

I worked a number of ZL’s (and Western VE’s) on 20m in the 02Z hours.  I
never heard a VK during that time.  (I realize and appreciate the distance
between VK & ZL and the different beam headings from here: 325° to VK6 and
245° to ZL4).  While I was able to work ZL’s on 80m (x1) through to 15m
(x4), I only worked VK on 40m.

Just about every year I tune across a non-Commonwealth station calling “CQ
BERU”.  This year it was a CO7 on 20m.

The only Commonwealth station I heard from Asia this year was 9V1YC on 40m
around 12Z.  There was a huge VK/ZL pileup on him at the time, which I decided
not to join.

Some serial numbers were skipped when N1MM reserved the next serial number for
a QSO on the second radio.  As a result, my sent serial numbers were higher
than actual QSOs (including dupes).

I expect the adjudication process to take more than it’s normal toll on my
score :=)


Here's a breakdown of some of my log:

	QSOs	Raw	Dupes	Bonus	HQ	PTS	BCA
	------------------------------------------------------------
80m	 69	 69	0	27	2	 925	  17
40m	190	192	2	64	4	2310	  34
20m	166	167	1	46	4	1830	  27
15m	152	153	1	20	4	1240	  15
10m	 39	 39	0	14	2	 515	  11
	------------------------------------------------------------
	616	620	4	171	17	6820	 104

Six 5 band QSOs: 6Y0A, G0KPW, G3BJ, G3MXJ, G3UJE, G3VPW, G5LP, G6PZ, GB75CC,
GM0GAV, GM0NAI, GM3POI, VA3RAC, VP2EC, ZF1UM

HQ Stations: GB75CC, VA3RAC, VA7RAC, ZL1AMO

104 Band Call Areas

385 QSOS in the first 12 hours, 235 in the last 12 hours.

Longest stretch between QSOs: 0811 to 0932

G:	423 QSOs with 208 unique stations
VE:	82 QSOs with 35 unique stations
VK:	18  QSOs with 18 unique stations
ZL:	37  QSOs  with 21 unique stations


80m
G:	41
VE:	20
VK:	0
ZL:	1

40m
G:	111
VE:	28
VK:	18
ZL:	17

20m
G:	111
VE:	26
VK:	0
ZL:	15

15m
G:	133
VE:	6
VK:	0
ZL:	4

10m
G:	27
VE:	2
VK:	0
ZL:	0


Still one of my favourite contests!  Thanks for all the QSOs!


73,

Chris VE3FU / VO2AC


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