[RTTY] GU0SUP WAEDC RTTY (SOABLP)

[Phil Cooper]

Hello all,

Hhhmmm! What happened to the propagation on Saturday?
Got up around 0600, expecting to be able to work some DX on 80m, but all I
found were half-a-dozen EU stations, and all were hard to work.
Went to 40m, and each time I called someone, all I got was AGN?? AGN?? I
even checked the antennas, just to make sure they were still there, and they
seemed to check out OK.
Tried calling ZL2AMI, no problem! Also managed to work TI2KAC at 0744, and
it was quite light here.
When I tried 20m, I got similar results, in that I kept getting AGN?? AGN??
even from the louder EU's who are normally a safe bet for me.
I tried CQ'ing several times, and this was a disaster. I'd work maybe one or
two, then nothing.
I got very despondant, and wasn't a happy bunny.

Sunday was better, and only barely made up for the the lack of contacts on
the previous day.

No new countries, but I still enjoyed this contest. Personally, I think
WAEDC is the best contest of the year, and is a real challenge in many ways.
You have to think of which band to work to maximise your score, and QTC's
can be a challenge, especially with poor conditions.
Great to see so few saying SRI NO QTC this year.

I did have a few grievances this weekend though:
1. An SP9 calling me loads of times right when I was receiving an exchange!
2. Folk who send the same exchange again when asked for NR?? Why not send
just the number?
3. Those megawatt stations who work you, then sit about 400Hz away and call
CQ!
4. Those who can't/won't read the rules regarding QTC's and contactable
stations in the RTTY section!

And one practice I saw that I thought was not quite in the spirit of the
contest:
A Z32 station calls a W1.
W1 sends report.
Z32 sends report, along with WILL YOU RX MY QTC?
W1 says SRI NO QTC.
Z32 sends QRV? and sends the QTC's anyway!
W1 station has to move.

Oh well, such is life.

Anyway, here is what I managed:
 	 QSOs	QTCs	Multipliers
80m: 	46	0	84
40m:	109	10	129
20m:	204	237	110
15m:	72	110	68
10m:	1	0	2
Total:	432 +	357  *	393	= 310077

Thanks to all for the fun, even the (in some cases, many!) repeats, and
thanks to DARC also.
My log will be on LoTW shortly, but QSL cards are welcome!

73 de Phil GU0SUP