[SCCC] VP9/W6PH SOABLP

[W6ph at aol.com]

 ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: VP9/W6PH
Operator(s): W6PH
Station:  VP9GE

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Bermuda
Operating Time (hrs):  40

Summary:
Band  QSOs   Mults
-------------------
160:  467     53
80:  683    55
40: 1049   58
20: 1257    60
15:   25    15
10:    3   3
-------------------
Total: 3484   244  Total  Score = 2,550,288

Comments:

Equipment:  IC-7000  CT-WIN

Antennas:  (160) Inverted L (50 ft  vert)
(80) Full wave G5RV 30  ft
(40) Dipole 20 ft
(20-10) A4S  30 ft  

Last year I said things couldn't get worse but they  did.  It was a 20M 
contest
during the day and a three band contest at  night.  Those 15M and 10M contacts
were at S0, most of them QSY's.   Bermuda is not the Caribbean.  I could hear
Caribbean stations working  W's on 15M that I could not hear.  VP9 propagation
is very similar to  W3.  But VP9 proximity to the northeast US helps on the  
low
bands.

It was good to log so many west coast guys on 160M and  80M.  It is a real
stretch with my 100 watts.   I only remember two QSY's with W6YI  and W6TK.
N6AA asked for one to 160M but the sun was already up in Bermuda.  But  I
worked him the next night.  I always try to accommodate QSY  requests.  I 
never did work W6 on 15M.

There were not that many pileups, just a  continual grinding away.  My CQ 
meter
says that the F1 button was pushed  2989 times but that doesn't count the RPT
CQ's.

Highlights were VY1EI  calling me on 20 meters and getting four more 
multipliers
in the last  hour.  I was able to successfully move VE4EAR, VE5MX, and VY2SS 
for new multipliers during the contest.  Other than that everything  else 
answered
my CQ's.

I was glad to try QSY's for a number of people  of which only about half 
worked
because of propagation deficiencies.   This is the longest sunspot minimum 
that
I can remember since the late  50's.  It seems the solar flux has been at 70 
for
the last three  years.

Again I appreciate the hospitality of my host, Ed, VP9GE.  He  is superb.

K3PH will operate there for the ARRL Phone this  year.

73, Kurt, W6PH

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