[CQ-Contest] ARRL-DX SSB : How were condx ?

[Yannick (XV4Y)]

Hi,

Last week I build and installed a hybrid-Moxon for 15m-10m-6m with fixed beam (could be manually turned but not real time).
I was a happy DXer with my vertical but wanted something more for contests and earning points with europeans and north-american stations.

On thursday and friday nights I tested my new beam with good results on 15m to Europe and even St-Vincent (same heading SP around 330°).
I was eager to run in the ARRL DX SSB this week-end but I went through a real deception...
Ok on saturday perhaps I was beaming short-path meanwhile the long-path should have been dominant. I only had QSO with 5 stations (K3EST, N7DD, W6WP...)
On sunday I beamed south (long-path) but heard no new NA stations and even if at 1.00z the signals seemed louder, soon after everybody went into the noise...

I was unable to keep the vertical and the beam together so an objective comparison was hard to make.
I know this path over the poles is difficult and could be great some days and dead the day after.
I would like to know what was your experience this week-end to SE-Asia stations.
By experience I know that YB and even HS have openings I don't have because the polar path is a bit tricky and comparing is not always easy.
Anyway, I'd like to have more data in order to know if it was just the band condx or my antenna is not good for this path...

Thanks for your help.
73,
Yan.
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Yannick DEVOS - XV4Y
http://xv4y.radioclub.asia/
http://varc.radioclub.asia/
http://www.qslwatch.com/