[3830] ARRLDX CW AA7A(@NA7TB) SO Unlimited HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: AA7A
Operator(s): AA7A
Station: NA7TB

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: AZ
Operating Time (hrs): 17
Remote Operation

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:  374    83
   40:           
   20:           
   15:           
   10:           
-------------------
Total:  374    83  Total Score = 90,885

Club: Arizona Outlaws Contest Club

Comments:

I did not plan on operating this contest 80 meter single band. While preparing
for the contest on Friday using the N5IA memorial station (located in Safford,
AZ) the primary radio failed. The remote contest site is a 4 hour drive from my
home and it was not possible to drive to the site to replace the radio for the
weekend event. So, I did a quick assessment of options and decided to operate on
single band 80 using the 2nd radio and the small-ish amp with no access to the
16-direction beverage system) hard-wired to the primary radio). I felt like I
was competing in an Olympic downhill ski race on one ski and no poles. I still
had fun and I had a chance to do other things over the weekend during the
daylight hours.

The 80 meter station antenna consists of a full-size 4-square on 80 meters
located in the back corner of the N5IA antenna farm...almost completely hidden
behind the 160 meter 8-circle. In fact, we have been told that Milt (N5IA...now
SK) only built this 4-square array to practice erecting the towers for the 160
meter array. Those of us that now use this station are simply in awe of the
capability of this amazing 80 meter antenna. 

Conditions were relatively flat on Friday night and I could only work the
top-tier Multi-operator stations in EU. Conditions were much better to EU on
Saturday night when I managed to work many more EU stations. Hopefully, I handed
out the AZ multiplier to many of those multi-operator stations who had some poor
guy stuck calling CQ thru their sunrise on 80. Hopefully, that new multiplier
gave them a moment of excitement. 

I also operated single band assisted, which places one in the Unlimited Class in
the ARRL DX contest. So, this effort really is not competitive against any other
station operating in the class. The reason I operate assisted from this site is
that it is rather difficult tuning the band looking for new station with the
loop delay using a remote station. To tune the band, one needs to nudge the dial
a little and then wait for the receiver audio to catch up and then nudge the
dial again. It is not anywhere near the same experience as tuning the radio with
it sitting right next to you at the operating position. So, to keep the
experience enjoyable, I simple operated single band assisted and competed aginst
noone in particular. It is always fun to have the chance to experience the
variations in propagation on a band over the course of a contest like this. It
really tells you how well your station works and what is possible to work in
this, or other contests.

Lee, KY7M, and I are working hard on new upgrades to the N5IA Memorial Station
and hope to have the station at full cpability for the fall. We are working on
erecting a 40 meter yagi on a 140' tower at the site over the summer to complete
our contest station. We will likely be operating M/2 remote in many contests
starting this fall.

73 and see you in the piles,

Ned / AA7A


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