[3830] WPX SSB DH8BQA SO(A)SB10 HP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: DH8BQA
Operator(s): DH8BQA
Station: DH8BQA

Class: SO(A)SB10 HP
QTH: JO73ce
Operating Time (hrs): 27

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:     
   40:  (1)
   20: (10)
   15:     
   10:  752
------------
Total:  752  Prefixes = 482  Total Score = 815,544

Club: Rhein Ruhr DX Association

Comments:

RIG: Elecraft K3, PA + 6 ele OWA Yagi @ 60 ft.

Conditions quite bad the days and weeks before the contest. There were some
good TEP openings during the last days so quite nice signals from southern
directions. That pointed me to a SOSB10 entry as I was hoping for more (and my
best antenna is for 10 m, too).

Saturday started slow. As usual the first half an hour we can already hear
strong Asian stations but cannot get there attention, even with high power.
Worked KH2 and a few JAs later on (although not comparable with last year's
WWDX SSB ;-)) and tons of BYs so there was hope for a good US opening in the
afternoon and nice runs. But that did not happen. Just worked 3 x USA on
Saturday between 16:30 and 17:00 UTC and another 5 between 18:15  and 19:20 UTC
(interestingly late), all on scatter / skewed path beaming South America (no
direct signals heard). Despite no real NA opening I closed Saturday evening
quite satisfied with already 520 QSOs in the log as the southern path' were
excellent (some tremendous signals from AF & SA at times).

Sunday sorrily did not see any JA opening here. So I was prepared for worse
conditions than on Saturday. Things were going veeery slow but I managed to
keep my butt in the chair. ;-) Frustration with a number of BYs that did not
even "qrz" after I called them although they were 59+ overhere! Oh well ... On
the other hand I was pleased to work 3 x VK foundation licensees that are only
allowed to run 10 watts! Nice to give some of them their first ever QSO with
Europe. :-)

Backscatter from the Europeans much much weaker on Sunday than on Saturday, had
to use the K3's preamp most of the time and dig deep into the noise to get those
serial numbers right. Maybe it's time to give own continent QSOs on 10 m more
points as it is much more difficult with weak backscatter than on the low bands
with their double points rule. ;-))

At 13:50 UTC K1WHS called in. Took a minute time (Thanks!) to try some antenna
directions, me beaming direct and skewed to SA as well as him beaming EU and
SA. Best combination was him to EU and me to SA so I suppose F2 sidescatter was
happening on my first F2 hop dir 250 degrees (somewhere above northern Spain
maybe). Very very interesting propagation studies ... this is what I especially
like about 10 meters! ;-)

Worked 5 more US stations on scatter between 14:45 and 15:45 UTC. Very
interesting: WN1GIV, WF3C and AD4Z were all the same signal strength skewed as
well as direct path! So it seems we had a small direct path opening, too,
although no more stations worked/heard beaming NA. But I stumbled across XE3N
(direct path!) when S&P'ing who was a real good 57 signal. He sounded as
astonished as I was after I worked him on the first call. Spotted him on the
cluster but he did not get anymore callers. Maybe nobody else could hear him?
Usually XE is only workable from here on 10 m when there is at least a good US
midwest opening, too. With such strong signals from XE there usually must be a
US west coast opening, too. Neither was the case here so I suppose we
experienced some special kind of ionospheric ducting with localized entries and
exits between the two of us. That theory would also be supported by hearing no
other XEs and (at least as long as I listened to him) no other Europeans
working him. Did I already mention that I like 10 m propagation studies? ;-) If
you do, too, then give 6 m a try, it's even more interesting there ... ;-)

Besides this I only managed 240 QSOs in total on Sunday so it was rather boring
at times. Nevertheless I broke the old German SO(A) SB10 HIGH record although
that was not too difficult. ;-)

Thanks all for the QSOs, much appreciated! See you in the next one (again) ...

Vy 73, Olli - DH8BQA
http://www.dh8bqa.de/


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