[3830] WPX SSB ND0C SOAB QRP

[webform at b4h.net]

CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: ND0C
Operator(s): ND0C
Station: ND0C

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: MN
Operating Time (hrs): 28

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:   71
   40:   99
   20:  207
   15:   53
   10:    0
------------
Total:  430  Prefixes = 273  Total Score = 232,869

Club: Minnesota Wireless Assn

Comments:

This was another slog, but not quite as brutal as the ARRL DX SSB Contest three
weeks ago.  Conditions seemed better and there was even a brief opening (for
just a few minutes from here) into eastern EU on 15 meters!  And I was able to
hear and work a few JAs!  On the other hand I never heard a single signal on 10
meters for the whole weekend, at least during the times I checked it.  15 meters
felt like 10 meters. 

20 seemed much better to EU on Sunday than on Saturday.  Due to church and
family commitments I had to miss about three prime hours on Sunday morning, so
don't know how good it really got.  The typical big guns in EU were loud, but
with no propagation to EU on 15 to speak of, the pile-ups and QRM were pretty
nasty. 

40 meters was OK for me here (by my QRP black-hole standards with just a
dipole) and yielded quite a few mults.  I was able to work into EU and AF as
well as snagging a VK on 40, so that was nice.  The band seemed quieter on the
second night.

I like to check the number of total countries worked in DX contests and in the
past have worked over 100 in a weekend on QRP.  This one was pretty
disappointing with a total of 64 DXCC entities.  Only 10% of my QSOs were with
EU which hurts the mults and points.  Another indicator of the challenge this
year is the average number of QSOs per hour.  This was very low relative to
past years for the WPX. It was just very tough going - nothing was easy.  

I still like the format of this contest and despite the slow going, I had fun. 
As always I appreciate the very patient operators battling to pull my signal out
of the noise and QRM.  A couple of the most common things I heard during the
contest: "You're right at my noise level" and "please repeat the
number several times".  Ah, the fun of contesting with QRP!

73,
Randy, ND0C

Station:
   Yaesu FTDX3000 running 5 watts out
   Cycle 24 TX38 triband Yagi at 40 feet; Cushcraft rotatable 40m dipole at 42
feet; inverted vee with apex at 38 feet.


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/