[3830] ARRLDX CW P40W(W2GD) SOAB LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: P40W
Operator(s): W2GD
Station: P40W

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 44

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:  248    48
   80:  576    57
   40:  951    57
   20: 1003    58
   15: 1318    59
   10: 1165    58
-------------------
Total: 5261   337  Total Score = 5,315,838

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

IC756ProII Win-Test
160 Vert Dipole 
160/80 Inv. V  at 60'
2 el 80M Collinear array - Vees spaced 165' broadside USA  1.7db
F12 2 el Delta 240 on 40M  @ 68'
F12 C31XR @ 62'  Never rotated off ~320 degrees.
F12 C3 @ 60' never used
800' EU, 500' N/S, 500' NW, VE3DO RX loop (2 ten foot phased verticals 40'
apart)

This trip was a last minute decision.  Needed to do some station maintenance
and take some fresh pictures for an upcoming presentation at Contest University
Italy 2013 next month.

Arrived Tuesday afternoon.  Immediately discovered the N and NW beverages in
disarray, and the 160M vertical in need of repair.  Learned the power company
would be installing a new feed from the street on Friday (two new power poles
were installed).  Both towers needed paint again.  Nothing all that unusual,
just labor intensive.

Debated whether to enter LP or QRP, and decided the challenge of LP would make
for an interesting contest experience.  Pondered what I could do with my
available supports for some gain on 80M.  I'd used a half-square once before,
but remembered how long it took to install and tune.  After pondering
alternatives, settled on a 2 ele collinear array of 80m inverted-V antennas. 
W3LPL provided technical assistance...tnx again Frank.

Tuesday night I learned I had a new and booming noise problem on 160M.  It was
S-8 on the NW beverage and S-5 on the N beverage (fortunately not a trace of
the noise on the NE beverage).  I could hear most stations on the NE antenna
but decided to try the VE3DO rx antenna that K3LR talked about at a Dayton Top
Band dinner.  In fact the noise was significantly reduced but I still wasn't
hearing the way I wanted.  Tnx to K3LR for techical assistance....I would have
gone far afield without that phone call Thursday afternoon.

Wednesday morning the 80M array went up, did some repair work at P49V, and
spent the remainder of the afternon slapping a coat of paint on my primary 60'
tower.  Entered all three of the CWT events that day for some period of time.  


Thursday morning I returned to P49V to complete the tribander repairs, and
returned home to put up the VE3DO rx antenna.  Did some casual operatin during
work breaks, conditions seemed promising, and the station seemed to be working
well.

Up bright and early Friday morning to apply a coat of 'red lead' primer on my
2nd 60' tower (a tower I'd repaired back in November).  Finished about 1 p.m.
Paid a short visit to P40L to take some fresh photos of W6LD and W0YK operating
as well as some outdoor shots of the antenna farm.  Back home for a much needed
3 hour pre-contest snooze.  For a change I felt fairly rested and ready at the
bell.  
  
Rates the first 24 hours were terrific, 3220 qsos were logged the first day. 
In particular the first few hours on 20 and then 40 producted spectacular
rates.  The first night the rate hovered around 150 per hour or so, which was
pretty much what I'd hoped for running just 100 watts.  I found I could easily
hold a frequency, but took some care to play the band edges.  Took a one hour
nap about 09z the first night when the rate slowed and my eyes were drooping. 


On Sunday conditions from S.A. were simply horrible.  It was like someone
turned a switch at 00Z Sunday and it didn't improve until about 17Z.  The 160M
vertical failed sometime early Saturday evening (it was showing a dead short),
so had to use the backup inverted V which hurt the 160 mult total.  Sunday
morning was very painful....rates under ~60/hr for hours on end, I nearly wore
out the F1 button, but to no avail.  Running 100w, it was impossible to break
the USA/EU wall with everyone beaming EU, putting SA in a side null.  Condx
simply were too good to EU. The tide didn't turn until 17Z and the rate meter
started to edge up to around 150/160.  Two back to back 190 hours on 20m was a
great way to finish things out.  
 
Overall a very exciting weekend .... .and for me just on the cusp of being a
record breaker, missing the mark set in 2004 by K9PG at WP3R by just 120K.  
 
Our traditional post contest dinner was attended by P40L/W6LD, W0YK and
AI6V/P49V and AI6YL was enjoyed by all.  Monday evening the same group plus
Andy K2LE enjoyed some more social time together.

Always enjoy working some many old (and new) friends during these contests.
Hope to return for another Aruban adventure in May for WPX CW.
 
73,
 
John W2GD @ P40W


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