[CCF] CQWW CW OG4A(OH6QU) SOSB/20 HP

Tue, 11 Dec 2001 08:25:11 +0200

                     CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: OG4A
Operator(s): OH6QU
Station: OH4A

Class: SOSB/20 HP
QTH: Nr. Salo
Operating Time (hrs): 45

Summary:
 Band     QSOs  Zones  Countries
-------------------------------
  160:
   80:
   40:
   20:   2337     38    118
   15:
   10:
-------------------------------
Total:   2337     38    118  =  809,952

Club/Team: Contest Club Finland

Comments:

The HF contesting isn't easy up here in the north when aurora hits!
Since I had no packet radio or internet connection from the contest
QTH I had no clue how severe solar event we were experiencing during
Saturday. I just recall myself getting worried when the tone of the
US signals were having more and more arctic flutter and the signal
strengh of the US "big guns" were dropping far too early compared
to normal. I guess it was just good that I did not know the facts
too well, otherwise I might have given up on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the preparation for the contest on Friday did not
go as I planned. I ran into troubles with a rotator of the other
tower and it took a long time to get it working and therefore I had
not enough time to fix antenna changeover relays for EU antenna
(2 el delta loop just few meters above the ground). I only had the
antenna system with 6 stacked 4 el monoband yagis which is not an
ideal antenna system for short distance EU QSOs, especially if
those antennas are supposed to be pointing to US or JA/VK/ZL at the
same time. Therefore, I apologize to EU stations that I was rather
deaf and in that way difficult to work!

Because of the unexpected problems with the station setup I had only
abt. 1 hour time to sleep before the contest started at 02:00 local
time and that was a biiiiig mistake. At the end of contest I was so
tired after having just 3 h of sleep during the last 70 hours that I
even had problems with understanding 28 WPM CW!!!! During the last
hours of the contest I was just phlegmatically running around and
trying to S&P new multipliers. Finally, after having a one can of
energy drink I got enough "steam" to run the last half an hour.

My old equipment (Kenwood TS-940S and Commander HF-2500) were
working flawlessly all that about 45 hours that I was on the air.
I guess a very good cooling helped them: time to time I opened the
door of ham shack and then the temperature in the ham shack dropped
rather quickly close to freezing point (hi!).

Personally I expected better results in the contest but taking the
poor conditions and "worn out" operator into account I should be
happy about the score. This also makes me come back next year with
a new plan & strategy (SO2R & second radio for chasing the
multipliers, I guess)

Special thanks to Merja & Jukka (OH6LI, OH4A, OH0V) for allowing me
to use their summer cottage QTH and superb antenna system once again!

Thanks to everyone who worked OG4A!

Equipments:
Kenwood TS-940S
Commander HF-2500/kW
6 x stacked 4 el monoband yagis in two fully rotating towers; the
towers in parallel to US
4 over 4 over 4 on 42m (140') tower
4 over 4 over 4 on 45m (150') tower

73 and cuagn,
Jari OH6QU

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