[3830] WPX SSB ND0C SOAB QRP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: ND0C
Operator(s): ND0C
Station: ND0C

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: Minnesota
Operating Time (hrs): 30

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:   15
   40:   59
   20:  246
   15:  257
   10:   91
------------
Total:  668  Prefixes = 403  Total Score = 653,263

Club: Minnesota Wireless Association

Comments:

- Interesting propagation which was frustrating at times and surprisingly good
at other times.  Conditions to Europe were very mediocre from here in the
(local)early morning.  Didn't get much going on 15 until after 1500 Z.  But
when it finally opened it was pretty good and 20 was good in the afternoon.  10
never opened up to EU or JA, but there were some Pacific openings and
fortunately a relatively solid path to South America both days.  
40 and 80 were really tough going, especially for QRP from the Black Hole.  I
could hear EU and VKs on 40 but couldn't make the trip with 5 watts.  The low
bands were pretty noisy both nights.
Over-all I was pleased with my score.  I had hoped we might have conditions
similar to last October and I was going to shoot for 1,000 Qs and a million
points - oh well!  At least conditions were better than the ARRL SSB Test from
here.  It is fun to stumble across some good DX (and a new multiplier) that
hasn't been spotted yet.  But you can sure tell when the packet hordes arrive!
As always, thanks to the stations that patiently persisted and pulled my puny
signal out of the QRM.  I'm amazed at what 5 watts can do on a clear frequency,
but to make QSOs through the nasty splatter on 20 is unbelievable and a lot of
credit goes to the operators (and filters) on the DX end.  Thanks guys! 
Speaking of splatter - it seems to be getting worse and aside from the crowded
conditions, some of the signals are just really wide - horribly over-modulated.
 I thought stations did a better job of giving their calls frequently - with a
few notable exceptions.  And of course there is the same old problem with
callers jumping on top of the station being called by the DX.  - Apparently
partial calls mean nothing, or perhaps some of our brethren have problems with
the alphabet. 

Set-up here at the ND0C "super-station":
  Yaesu FT 897D running 5 watts out
  Wilson SY-3 three element tribander Yagi at 15 meters and an inverted vee for
40 and 80.  

73,
Randy, ND0C

As always... "You don't have to be crazy to contest with QRP ... but it helps."


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