[3830] WPX CW VA7ST SOAB LP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, CW

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

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 25

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:   24
   40:  161
   20:  256
   15:  122
   10:    9
------------
Total:  572  Prefixes = 257  Total Score = 401,177

Club: Orca DX and Contest Club

Comments:

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

2013: SFI=120  A=20  K=3, SSN= 99
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

Hello? Hello? Is this thing on? 

For most of the 25 hours I was on, it seemed the coax might not be hooked up to
the yagi. Conditions were beyond bad here. Didn't work EU until Sunday when 20M
cracked open just a smidge, and even then only a handful of the strongest
signals replied when called. Nothing over the pole on 15M. 

Very disappointed in the entire weekend. Felt like a waste of a perfectly good
contest. Just 16% of last year's points, 44% of the QSOs and 38% of the mults
-- I expected a lot more despite running low power this year. Worst showing
since 2003. Was happy for the folks further south and east when I saw they had
double and triple the QSO counts, but those numbers were not achievable from
this QTH with 100W.

There's always next year. But I think performance-wise, the bands must have
peaked in 2012. They haven't done much for us since. Maybe June VHF will be
more fun -- probably better DX than I heard this weekend.

CQWW season seems a long way off through the flares.

Thanks for the Qs and the patience this weekend.

-- Bud VA7ST


Year                   QSO    WPX    Score
==============================================
May-13    SOABLP       572    257      401,177
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


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