[3830] WPX CW VA7ST SOAB HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 26

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:   24
   40:  234
   20:  460
   15:  563
   10:    6
------------
Total: 1287  Prefixes = 675  Total Score = 2,515,050

Club: Orca DX and Contest Club

Comments:

* Unassisted -- FT-2000 + SB221 + N1MM Logger
* 3 ele. SteppIR at 27'
* 1 x 40M SteppIR dipole at 27'
* 2-element 40M diamond quad, apex 50'
* 2 x 80M elevated verticals (JA or US/VE)
* 1 x 270' bi-directional Beverage 

2012: SFI=110  A=4  K=1, SSN= 70
2011: SFI=135  A=4  K=1, SSN=139
2010: SFI= 78  A=2  K=1, SSN= 22
2009: SFI= 73  A=2  K=1, no sunspots
2008: SFI= 68  A=2  K=0, no sunspots

I have a new appreciation for 15M. What a band -- open to Europe (often with
"nextdoor" copy) all day both days, and far better than 20M at any time this
weekend. Had the yagi at just 27 feet the whole time, due to the promise of
high winds (which didn't happen). Low height didn't seem to hurt much. 

40M didn't open to Europe, so the 40M "N4JTE" reversible quad in the pine trees
never got much action. The low Steppir 40M dipole did most of the heavy work on
that band, though I did flick over to the quad to complete a very welcome and
rare Q with V51YJ.

Went in with a target of 2M points, which would be quite an improvement over my
previous best of 1.7M in 2008. Finished with 2.5M claimed, and happy with it.
Prefixes are up by 160 from my best-ever of 515 in 2008, thanks to the long
runs over the pole, and across the Pacific to JA.

The final couple of hours were rather slow, with 20M not working very well in
any direction. But I went back to 15M and found much of the world wide open for
a few final Qs and valuable mults.

Had a great time, put in 26 hours and stil managed plenty of rest. Even did a
bunch of much-needed grass trimming when I got a little seat-weary on Saturday
afternoon, and had a long nap Sunday afternoon when I should have been raking
in points on 15M.

The lower bands were disappointing -- 80M was a wasteland, with only 24
stations worked. Sure hate to think about all those short-haul 4-pointers going
unclaimed. One of these years, maybe we'll all get together on 80M for a couple
of hours and rack up those easy extra points. 

Also missed any 10M activity, but there wasn't much to hear and just too much
going on 7 Mhz lower. Next year, the second radio gets turned on.

Year over year...

Year                   QSO    WPX    Score
==============================================
Goal:     SOABHP      1400    500    2,000,000

May-12    SOABHP      1287    675    2,515,050
May-11    SO(A)ABLP    813    400      989,200
May-10    SOABHP      1050    409    1,220,456
May-08    SOABHP      1171    492    1,697,892
May-07    SO(A)ABHP    948    409    1,135,384
May-06    SOABLP       941    515    1,445,605
May-05    SOABLP       694    378      712,908
May-03    SOABLP       412    233      269,348
May-02    SOABLP        63     45        9,000

Top action from...

G    21
S5   23
OK   25
SP   29
UR   36
VE   46
UA   59
DL   70
JA  106
K   524

Thanks for all the contacts. Hope all got through okay, as there was very
strong QSB at times. Many NR? requests, but I'd rather get it right than lose
the Qs.

-- Bud VA7ST

http://www.va7st.ca/home.html

The Orca DX and Contest Club...
http://orcadxcc.org


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