[3830] CQWW SSB ND0C SOAB QRP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

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

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: Minnesota
Operating Time (hrs): 34

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:    0     0        0
   80:    8     4        3
   40:   30    11       16
   20:  159    27       66
   15:  216    24       70
   10:  407    29       94
------------------------------
Total:  820    95      249  Total Score = 787,416

Club: Minnesota Wireless Association

Comments:

We were obviously blessed once again with great propagation for CQWW - not quite
as magical as last year, but pretty darn close!  Saturday was great but I think
that conditions dropped off a bit on Sunday morning, but picked up again that
afternoon (local).  The high bands were great and I just missed 10 meter DXCC
again this year, but did get 106 countries over-all to get "DXCC in a weekend"
again.  Doing so well with QRP is obviously a testament to good conditions!  I
was able to beat my score from last year with four fewer Qs but several more
mults. 

This was a 100% S&P situation.  I never could get a run going despite several
abortive attempts on 10.  But I was able to keep up a decent rate with S&P.  As
well as things went on the high bands, the low bands brought me back to the
reality of QRP.  From here in the Midwest with 5 watts to mediocre wire
antennas for 40 and 80, I just try to pick up some multipliers to add to the
score from the high bands.  The bands seemed very noisy and the conditions on
80 and 40 were rough.  I was not able to work a single EU or JA on 40.  So that
hurts the multiplier count.  In fact I missed several double multiplier
opportunities - but that's the way it goes with QRP.  

Another reality of running QRP is getting CQed in your face.  I'm used to it
but it's never fun.  Late in the contest I stumbled onto BY4QA all alone on 15
- nobody calling him.  He was strong but couldn't hear me and just kept CQing. 
After few minutes, the packet hordes descended on him so it was all over for me!
 (A big key for QRP DXing and contesting is finding the multipliers before
they're spotted.  But hopefully they can hear you when you call!)

I appreciated HD2A's comment when he came back to me in a pile-up on Sunday,
apparently remembering that I run QRP saying: "I'm not making fun of five
watts!"  

I noticed a lot of QSOs taking place right on the band edges, such that the
sidebands will be out-of-band.  I always pass up the opportunity to work the
new multiplier etc, when he is within 3 kHz of the top edge on USB or similarly
the bottom edge on LSB - I just tune away.  But a lot of guys are ignoring the
rules and really getting an unfair advantage by making contacts in these
situations.  Is anybody keeping track of the violators?  And along similar
lines, I'm always amused by the few US ops that will try to work the 40 meter
DX stations on their transmit frequency - well below our band limits.  

As always, I'm impressed and very appreciative of the skills of the DX
operators and their amazing ability to pull my puny signal out of the splatter.
 Thanks for the great ears!

The ND0C "super station":
   Yaesu FT-897D running 5 watts out (and with a receiver that has a front end
as broad as a barn!)
   Wilson SY-3 three element triband Yagi at 15 meters
   Inverted vee with apex at 14 meters fed with ladder line - pretty much a
cloud warmer on 40 and 80 and a great dummy load on 160  
   Heil mic/headset and N3FJP logging software

73,
Randy, ND0C

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


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