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

[Tom W8JI]

<<<I am not surprise you have a lot of YBs in your log. The path between you 
both should be easier.
I have received private e-mail from several people confirming condx were 
tricky and other stations having a good setup did hear no one from my 
area.>>>>>>

We all tend to think a path is to a general region of the world, but it 
often is not. Even a few hundred miles can make a large difference in 
propagation, depending on path.

<<<<<<
More objectively, I found a way to install both my GP and Moxon beam 
together.
I did some comparison with EU stations and the beam is 2 to 3 S point better 
on most of the stations.
So my beam is working as expected, but I don't know if it is good for the 
path to the US. Takeoff angle is quite wide with -3dB from max Gain between 
6° and 20°...>>>>

Unless you are sitting on saltwater in the direction you want to work, any 
horizontally polarized antenna  at upper HF should be several dB better than 
a vertical, when they have about the same efficiency. Add that ground 
reflection gain difference to the few dB gain of the Moxon, and the fact 
**most** S meters are only 3 to 5dB per S unit (not 6 dB), and your results 
make perfect sense.

An A-B test over time is the smart way to compare things. Too many reach 
conclusions based on bad methods, like how one does in different contests 
months apart from using a previous system. You have the right way to do it, 
now.

73 Tom