[3830] ARRLDX SSB ON7EH SOSB/40 LP

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ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: ON7EH
Operator(s): ON7EH
Station: ON7EH

Class: SOSB/40 LP
QTH: Machelen
Operating Time (hrs): 2

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:           
   40:           
   20:           
   15:           
   10:           
-------------------
Total:  19     13  Total Score = 741

Club: NBT Grimbergen

Comments:

This was my last low band contest this winter season.
I've never looked forward to this SSB event, it always points to serious
station shortcomings but also improvement areas...

First, the basement shack, close to sleeping rooms, dictates near-silent
operation. OK on CW, not so on Sideband.
The K3 voice recorder was therefore pre-loaded with my call, report and
exchange information. Next time, I have to add a series of RRR's...
The contest was therefore reduced to "push-button"-operation, ruling
out any RUN... 100% of the 19 QSO's were S&P.
Not being able to RUN doesn't help the total score.

Secondly, a single fullsize quarterwave 40m vertical over elevated radials
(over the 160m radial field) and 100W is mediocre to stand out in the crowd,
especially with Saturday morning very bad band conditions. 
VY/VE and USA East Coast were S5 with QSB on the bidirectional NW/SE short
Beverage. Despite calling VY2TT and others multiple times, my signals were left
unheard. This has never happened before!
So, well before my sunrise, I QSY-ed upstairs with zero QSO's in the log. What
a disappointment...

Thirdly, some EU signals were extremely loud and some quite broad, overlapping
the weak US/VE signals making S&P even more challenging.
Luckily, some US-stations operated split, above 7200 and these were by far the
easiest QSO's!
The strategy and hopes were changed and we decided to be QRV on Sunday morning,
only.

During the day, no setup malfunctions could be located; the lack of propagation
to the NW was the bugger. 

W4RM was the first station logged, the last station and ODX during the contest
WW4LL. 
As usual, the central-American islands were more consistent around sunrise and
before but no target...:-(  
 
Setup:
TRX 100W K3 + R&S preselector filter
Tx antenna: quarterwave wire vertical
Rx: antenna 120m unterminated Beverage , QTF: NW/SE

Thanks to all for the patience!

73 es GL de Michel, ON7EH


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