[3830] RAC Winter VA3DF SO Mixed LP

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                    RAC Winter Contest

Call: VA3DF
Operator(s): VA3DF
Station: VA3DF

Class: SO Mixed LP
QTH: ONS
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs  CW Mults  Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
  160:   68      0       7         0
   80:  157     42       7         7
   40:  229    120       8        10
   20:  233    105       8         8
   15:   53     24       5         4
   10:    1      0       1         0
    6:                              
    2:                              
----------------------------------------
Total:  741    291      36        29  Total Score = 298,610

Club: Contest Club Ontario

Comments:

In my personal journal, this shall forever be known as the backwards contest!
You see, it's a long story, but basically my 40 m beam has suffered a mechanical
failure - probably caused by a combination of my sloppy workmanship and the
constant winds we have in this area. The reflector has broken one its fastenings
and is wobbling back and forth in the wind. Failure is imminent!

I don't want the element coming down and hitting wire antennas etc as it drops
so I'm obliged to park the antenna, so hopefully we get a clean drop. As long as
I'm left with the driver element and everything else is intact, I'm reasonably
OK with this scenario (in the short term).However, this means I needed to park
the antenna facing EU - any movement from that heading risks damage when the
reflector drops.

I have a cool work around for this constraint, as the 20/15/10 antenna is a
SteppIR and I can use the 180 degree feature to shoot backwards at most of NA.
This does mean that I don't get the full advantage of the 4th element on the
SteppIR.

40 M. is something else! Most NA qsos had to be worked off of the side or back
of the beam. The beam still has some fighting spirit left in its dying days and
I managed about 350 qsos on 40 shooting backwards.

So now it's down to a vigil, constantly checking on the reflector and hoping for
a less than disastrous outcome.

As usual, it's a jungle out there...

73,

Doug
VA3DF


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