[3830] ARRLDX SSB KH6AQ SOSB10 LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB - 2023

Call: KH6AQ
Operator(s): KH6AQ
Station: KH6AQ

Class: SOSB10 LP
QTH: Pahoa, HI
Operating Time (hrs): 8:36

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:    0     0
   40:    0     0
   20:    0     0
   15:    0     0
   10:  440    51
-------------------
Total:  440    51  Total Score = 67,167

Club: 

Comments:

This was my first serious single op SSB contest and it did help advance my
skills.

I could record my voice into the FTdx-10 MEM and it would play back, but it
refused to modulate the radio. I ended up calling the old fashioned way.

To avoid the high local received RF noise level I operated a mile from my house
at a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean with a clear shot to NA. The
"shack" was a little Honda FIT. The new Sirio 3-element Yagi mounted
on a 12' mast seemed to do a good job. I built a tilt mount out of plywood and 2
x 4s a couple days before the contest. Drive the car onto it, push in the mast
and tilt it up. No guy wires needed. The Sirio weighs just 10 lbs and has a
projected wind area of less than 3 sq. ft.

Operating local Saturday and Sunday things were ready to transmit by a little
after 7 am. Not too productive at first until NA stopped working Europe and paid
attention elsewhere. The first day I had a couple hours of great (for me) rates
and not yet being a phone guy had to devote all my mental energy to it. Where's
the phone equivalent of Morse Runner? Set per the assembly manual the new Yagi
had an SWR of 3:1 which the FTdx-10 ATU took care of. After ceasing operations
on Saturday I adjusted the Gamma match for 2:1 and could not get it any lower.
Perhaps having the antenna on a 12' mast above ground is the issue. The antenna
was about 20' back from the edge of a cliff with a drop of at least 60' to the
ocean. 

It seemed like the footswitch failed but it turned out to be the FTdx-10
refusing to key up after getting very hot with the sun beating on it while
sitting on the car dashboard. A sun shade and some AC fixed that right away. If
I had my act together on Saturday I might have pulled off another 100 QSOs. 

All in all it was a great experience and I intend to do some more SSB contests
this year. 

FTdx-10 barefoot
3 element Yagi with an effective height of around 70 ft above the ocean 
$100 Youse headset with foot switch


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