[SCCC] K6NA SAC SSB

[Glenn Rattmann]

                    Scandinavian Activity Contest, SSB

Call: K6NA

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: SoCal
Operating Time (hrs):

Summary:
  Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    80:
    40:  19     13
    20:  64     24
    15:   5      4
    10:
-------------------
Total:  88     41  Total Score = 5,166

Club: Southern California Contest Club

I had limited time, but managed to poke around with some success on 
three bands.  I've always liked the SAC format, just one day (1200z - 1200z).

80m-- No contacts (no surprise).  Listened three or four different 
times in our evening, but couldn't copy anyone well enough to 
call.  It's a challenge this close to summer, because W6 has to look 
directly through the significant storm QRN east and northeast of 
us.  No chance for LP due to position of the terminator.

40m-- In past years in this contest, I remember listening split, as 
usual, trying to find a few SAC guys loud enough to copy through the 
RTTY racket down below 7.1.  The two simultaneous DX contests-- one 
on SSB and one on RTTY-- made for an interesting collision below 7.1 
MHz.  I was looking forward to this one since the band-plan change 
happened a few months ago.  Conditions were not great (lots of 
aurora), but it was really nice to copy very weak Scandinavians 
between 7128 and 7200, with just a little USA QRM.

20m was about as expected... with most of the contacts made in our 
local morning, starting right after sunrise.  No signals heard on a 
darkness path.

15m was a surprise.  With the recent solar activity, there was a 
short opening for the West Coast, but not early on Saturday morning 
local.  I never heard any signals-- not even eastern USA stations-- 
working the SAC in our morning.  Instead, a handful of the bigger 
Scandinavian stations were worked around 2100z via the polar 
path.  This would be well into darkness for them.   They were 
specifically looking for us.  There were absolutely no east coast 
stations heard during this opening.

West Coast guys are familiar with this "late" polar opening on 15m, 
and we often work some of the Scandinavians via this path when we are 
running JAs during the good years.  Offhand, I don't recall hearing 
this before under such poor conditions with low SFI.  By the way, the 
approximate southerly extent of this opening into Europe is defined 
by the Baltic Sea area... I have never worked an SP, DL, PA, ON, or 
further south, during this polar opening to California; mainly OH and 
SM, maybe an occasional UA1 or LA.

10m-- No surprises here.

73,

Glenn K6NA