[3830] ARRL 10 N8II SO Mixed LP

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                    ARRL 10-Meter Contest - 2022

Call: N8II
Operator(s): N8II
Station: N8II

Class: SO Mixed LP
QTH: WV
Operating Time (hrs): 21:12

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   CW:  796   124
  SSB:  572   102
-------------------
Total: 1368   228  Total Score = 978,128

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

No big surprise, since early October 10 meters is back as a reliable band for DX
and the USA/VE! I was a bit worried early last week when the solar flux was just
above 100 (even then EU was workable); thankfully we have returned to the
130's-140's. 

It was a busy week; I have had an intermittent in the 10M feedline since summer
which had worsened in recent days (SWR 4:1). So Wednesday I climbed the tower to
investigate (60 F, no wind!). I found a water logged barrel connector (tape had
weathered) and maybe a short at a splice; I patched both using flexible rubber
tape to seal and all was fine again. Then Thursday I cleaned up leaves and
burned brush. 
By Friday evening, I was feeling tired. Of course, right from the opening gun
there was Es with TE links to SA and ZL. The band was open well from FL across
the Gulf Coast to a few TX/OK/KS and then across W0 to a hoard of MN ops Thanks
MWA!). IN and IL were easy for a while, but no WI/MI. By 02Z, I had worked most
of what was there and the Es footprint had shrunk to mostly the west (a few CA
stations also), so I took a break for an hour and still managed 36 Q's after 03Z
to bring the total up to 170 for the night. Running on CW and SSB was
disappointing most of the evening, 56 Q's total SSB.

Both days the band opened to EU before I got started, Sunday there were loud EU
at 1240Z 15 minutes past sunrise and Saturday one of the first stations I heard
was Russian. It was a rocky start on CW, not long after I had a good run going a
broad 
clicking station was below me and another loud signal above. Eastern EU was
loud, so I held on until the rate went low and then searched for another spot
while S&P'ing a few ending up above 28050. That didn't work well for long.
13Z rate was 110. At 1403Z, I was happy to go to SSB and catch some Q's and
mults there with a
103 hour, running was easier. EU signal levels started to drop at 15Z and by
1530Z the band was closing with only a few western EU left. Back to CW at 1527Z,
a mixture of run/S&P. At 1608Z two mults called in, MI5I and 3B8HH. Last EA
and Europe of day was at 1628Z. There were loud signals to the west by 16Z, but
as is often the case I had the "curse of the west coast bambino" and
very few NV/CA/OR/WA stations were workable through the afternoon. The F2 was
good into NM, AZ and as close as CO/NE/SD/ND and all of the Rockies and parts of
TX as well as SK/AB. Thank goodness for great SA activity as most of my Q's in
the 20Z hour were from there on SSB. 21Z was mostly S&P picking up a few
bacskcatter Q's on CW. Scatter was poor most all of the day. My sunset is 2147Z;
finally about 2212Z, the condx to the west coast improved until closing around
23Z. Only HP and a few SA stations were found after that.

Sunday was a smoother day with a 117 hour at 13Z and a good easier run on CW
with fewer Eastern EU, but many callers. SSB running was slower and then there
must have been a flare as a very crowded phone band became a hollow shell about
1445Z, only a few F/EA/CT stations were left around 1455Z with a good recovery
by 1510Z with a CW EU run and a 61 hour. I kept mainly looking for EU as long as
I could with with last EA worked at 1659Z. The afternoon condx were better than
Saturday with some loud and many workable backscatter signals. The west coast
was better but still difficult especially from 2030-2200Z. I had a good CW/SSB
runs of the Rockies and west coast with a 58 hour. I looked for JA on CW, heard
2 too weak to be heard by them.

I managed a WAS on CW thanks to NL7V who called on SSB through a lot of QRM from
an extremely wide VE6 (almost didn't hear him) and moved to CW, many thanks!
Also thanks to KH7Q who moved to SSB from CW. There were a few other moves like
OH1F to SSB. I missed Eastern Canada, nothing worked east of VE2, only heard
VE9HF and stations working VO1HP who was in the noise. Also, never found CO8NMN
who was very active, but heard CO8RH calling others on CW. The EU mults were
good on CW, missed several eastern EU on SSB. HZ0YL called me on SSB. Not much
was heard from AF, no ZS or V5. I did work VK on both modes. 

Many thanks for all of the calls and QSO's. Conditions should be even better
next year. Congrats to K7SV and NO6T (3400+ Q's!) for some amazing efforts.

73, Jeff


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