[3830] CQWW CW VA7ST SOAB HP

Mon Nov 30 00:44:32 EST 2015

                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

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

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 34.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   24     4        3
   80:  206     9       15
   40:  384    25       65
   20:  655    25       73
   15:  729    29       52
   10:  172    19       31
------------------------------
Total: 2170   111      239  Total Score = 1,750,700

Club: Orca DX and Contest Club

Comments:

* Unassisted -- FT-2000 + SB221 + N1MM Logger
* 3 ele. SteppIR at 47' (27' Friday night)
* 40M SteppIR dipole 
* 2-element 40M diamond quad, apex 50'
* 3 x 80M elevated verticals (6 directions)
* 1 x 160M inverted-L

>From British Columbia, the bands seemed rather odd -- hot and cold, and
definitely on the long slide to solar minimum. 

Biggest surprises:

* Big 40M opening to Europe at 0200z (6 p.m.) Saturday evening 
* GS8VL calling me on 80M just after 0800z (midnight) Sunday
* Strong 20M opening to Europe for an hour at 0830z (1230 a.m.) Sunday

The biggest disappointment this year was the general lack of European mults
available from this far west/north. 

10M did not provide any European mults this year. Was a band to be on for short
sessions, but not much rate no matter where I pointed.

15M was very weak to Europe, offering mostly Scandinavian mults (thanks guys!).
Provided some nice multipliers Sunday considering hardly any of the 52 countries
were on the polar path.

20M didn't offer the polar path to Europe Friday night and EU wasn't really
workable all day Saturday until two hours after dark. Went into Sunday with 20M
only slightly worked over, with just 50 mults in the log. The path opened wide
Sunday morning for a couple of hours. After a few sweeps of the band and a
couple of decent runs through the day, I built that to 73 mults which was very
surprising given how poor the band had been all day Saturday. 

40M was pretty solid. A strong wideband noise source sparked up shortly before
0400z Friday night ending a quiet band. Same thing happened at 0350z (7:50
p.m.) Saturday night -- the 40M quad was doing a great job to Europe and huge
EU signals seemed to be floating above dead silence (the quietest I've ever
heard 40M). Then wham! Wiped out. Switched to the rotary dipole and same
thing.

80M didn't provide the multipliers I had hoped for (down by a dozen countries
and zones from recent years), but was still a lot of fun as a late-night
diversion from sleep. Landed about a third fewer QSOs than I had hoped for
despite spending significant time there. I work Zone 15 on 80M about once every
five years -- and early Sunday morning was my one QSO that made it over the
pole. Thanks GS8VL!

160M was about typical for this QTH, with a sadly neglected inverted-L whose
top wire now drops from 70 feet to about 45 feet at the far end. More Qs and
mults than last year, though.

Had a really great time even when conditions were 'in the terlet.' Thanks to
everyone and especially those who got on for even just a few contacts through
the weekend.

-- Bud VA7ST

       QSOs  Ctry   Zn  Score
2015: 2,170   239  111  1,750,700 HP 34.5 hrs
2014: 2,372   264  113  2,099,136 HP 34 hrs
2013: 2,075   246  118  1,798,160 HP 31 hrs
2012: 2,365   249  104  1,888,550 HP 36 hrs
2011: 2,114   248  109  1,725,024 HP 32 hrs
2010: 1,721   180   92  1,033,056 HP 32 hrs 
2009: 1,777   158   92    950,750 HP 31 hrs
2008: 1,580   129   71    670,600 HP 25 hrs
2007  1,470   129   69    615,582 HP 32 hrs
2006  1,476   163   78    775,297    35 hrs
2005  1,014   126   61    411,587
2004  1,421   146   79    697,500
2003    865   115   73    351,936
2002    675   147   63    313,740

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