[3830] CQWW SSB VP2MDG SOAB HP

webform at b4h.net webform at b4h.net
Mon Oct 26 07:05:34 EDT 2015


                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: VP2MDG
Operator(s): VP2MDG
Station: VP2MDG

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: VP2M
Operating Time (hrs): 37

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   60     5       14
   80:  138    10       35
   40:  515    21       69
   20:  505    30       80
   15: 1349    29       92
   10: 1434    23       83
------------------------------
Total: 4001   118      373  Total Score = 4,669,410

Club: Florida Contest Group

Comments:

What a last four days!!  First the setting up.  I knew before leaving Florida
that the rotator "wasn't working" and that the tower was
"stuck" a few inches above fully nested because the hoist motor
hummed but didn't turn.  So Thursday I mounted my CL-33 on the tower at about
27 feet, and I put up dipoles for 160, 80 and 40 on improvised supports. 
Everything was a low compromise, but I was counting on the gain from the VP2M
callsign.  By end of day all the antennas had been installed and tuned for
their new positions.  Phew!  It was all good except for the amplifier, which
served as a pass-thrugh for the exciter on 160M.  Turns out the contacts on the
wafer that switches in extra capacitance on 160M was fried.  I improvised a
contact with a short piece of heavy wire, and it held up all weekend.  Phew
again!

Friday I decided to play with the tower motor.  The junction box was very
rusty, but all the wiring inside looked clean and neat.  Not the problem.  The
compartment housing the motor start capacitor was filled with rust flakes.  I
cleaned it out, but by itself that wasn't the problem either.  So for grins I
reseated the slide-on connections to the tabs on the capacitor.  Imagine my
surprise/glee/dismay that the motor cranked in both directions afterwards.
My day of resting up before the contest now became a day of relocating the 40M
and 160M dipoles onto the tower.  Of course they needed to be trimmed as a
result of the relocation.  More trips up and down the stairs.  But the views of
the Caribbean and Nevis made for a beautiful backdrop.

Time to work a few before the contest only to discover that the rotator decided
it didn't want to turn counterclockwise.  How had Murphy snuck in?  Too late to
do anything about it.  Sadly, the antenna was beaming east of Europe.  Oh well.
 I guess I would be REALLY counting on that gain from the VP2M callsign!

I must say that the contest was a bit of a grind.  Starting out tired and
having a compromised station could easily have led to quitting at some point. 
But I was picked up along the way by having friends and family call me at
various points over the weekend.  I earned the WABB award (Worked All Briggs
Brothers - with the nephew endorsement) as Patrick (KK6ZM), Jeff (VY2ZM) and
Peter (K3ZM) all called in.  Peter kept telling me to keep at it.  Then at one
point my closest friends from The Villages, NP2B, NP2C, N4FP and WB2VYK all
checked in to say hi.  Another friend from TV, K2PS finally found me Sunday
afternoon during his single-op 10M effort.  And of course there were many
contacts with current and former clubmates - one of the best aspects of the
contest.
Friday night and Saturday, despite the issues, the station was rockin' and
boppin'.  Big rates, lots of contacts, good conditions except for high static
levels on 160.  Sunday was a different story.  Had trouble finding clear
frequencies for running.  The last hour was spent largely S&Ping and
getting a lot of "wow, thanks for the multiplier" responses.
OK, the sun is up.  Time to tear it all down and get that rotator working
again.  Whaddaya think?  Will the tower motor still work, or will the tower be
stuck in the extended position?
73,
George VP2MDG / K2DM


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