[CQ-Contest] 2005 IARU observations from IK2DZN - LOW POWER

[IK2DZN - Claudio Astorri]

Dear Contesters,


the excellent propagation forecasts prior to the HF Championship didn't
obviously take the E-sporadic issue into account.


During 2004 IARU I could work more than 300 Europeans on 10 meters and more
than 200 Europeans on 15 meters. So half of my 2004 QSOs were E-sporadic
aided. 

LOW POWER contesters take great advantage by these openings, don't they?

During 2005 IARU conditions on 10 meters allowed me to work just 20 stations
and openings on 15 meters allowed me to work 130 stations, whose locations
have nothing to do with E-sporadic.

What a difference from last year's conditions...


Considering the closed E-sporadic situation I am so glad I managed to have
just a 10% loss from last year's score; this took me a full 24 hour effort.

It also depended on my upgraded 20, 40 and 80 meter antenna system.

I can't imagine next year; it will probably be the toughest one for LOW
POWER guys like myself.


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I fully agree with those claiming HQ stations do absorb lot of spectrum.

In many Countries in Europe we have just 60 gross (not net...) KHz as SSB
spectrum on 40 meters (7040-7100 KHz).

There were times this weekend when just 1 or 2 HIGH POWER non-HQ stations
could find spectrum in between the HQ's.


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One final question: do 160 meters make sense in this contest?



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Thank you.




Claudio Astorri, IK2DZN