[SCCC] ARRL DX CW 2011

[Bill Kendrick]

Call: N6RV

Operator(s): N6RV

Station: N6RV

 

Class: SOAB LP

QTH: LAX

Operating Time (hrs): 38

Radios: SO2R

 

Summary:

 Band  QSOs  Mults

-------------------

  160:   21    11

   80:   68    33

   40:  116    44

   20:  325    80

   15:  285    66

   10:  112    29

-------------------

Total:  927   263  Total Score = 731,403

 

Club: Southern California Contest Club

 

Comments:

 

It was tough staying the chair! It was equally tough trying to stay focused
with the adrenalin running at full tilt and then exhaustion and anxiety sets
in! It is not nice getting older. It was hard going to sleep for an hour or
so. Actually it was harder getting up and functioning. All the stations with
the WPX prefixes were struggling with exchanges. I had one and I know how
confusing they are for the guy in the other end! A short call readable sign
does wonders! Another problem is the PW7 prefix. How many copied PJ7? That
is a problem with calls that are unusual and close to familiar ones. How
about KH0S/KH2? The dits will always get you!

 

All the bands were in play however the long haul openings just were not
there on 20m. Nice to see 10 meters open! What a difference it makes having
three bands you can run through. There certainly are no slow spots now.
Actually heard LP on 40 in the morning and 80 opened very nicely at sunrise!
VR2 on 80 at sunrise was loud. Again I missed all of the Middle East and
Indian Ocean openings if there were any. At least Tunisia was on. I guess
the Egyptians and the rest of the region were too preoccupied. 

 

Mostly S&P. I am still amazed how easy it is to work stations using only 100
watts. Then I worked several QRP stations and if the report did not include
the power I never would have known. One JA station was running on 20 meters
with only 3 watts. amazing! I did manage a JA run on 10m, 15m, 20m, & 40m,
particularly interesting at 100 Watts and an 80m loop that is impossible to
tune on 40m. 160 was fantastic on Friday night! Every time I ran down and
looked there was someone new! Even a handful of JA stations were loud!  Next
year we should see a lot more on 15 and 10. Exciting times are upon us! That
said not many rare stations came out to play. It was not too difficult
during the golden years to see a few locals join in the fun. Now it is
difficult to get even US hams to get involved and the ranks of DX contest
expeditions are thinning.

 

The antennas played very well. They are showing their age. The KT34XA
actually was used at N6DX's station back in 80s. It was well worn when I
bought it. The KT36XA is showing some of the typical corrosion issues found
in the KT34XA nevertheless they both work fine. The 2 element 40 has been
sorely missed. I should have put it up in the interim instead of putting off
until another antenna was acquired. Six years is too long and at the bottom
of the sunspot cycle to boot! 

 

Next year the DB18E and the 4 element SteppIR should be up and ready for
contest season plus a second rotating mast with a 2 element 5 band quad for
the off direction. I have plans for a close spaced 4 square on 80. Being
stuck on a lot it is either an inverted L or shunt fed tower on 160. The
antenna switches will be routed so I do not have to go to the other
operating position to change antennas. Also the tuner for 160 hopefully will
be remote at the tower. Manually changing bands is still no problem. All the
automatic stuff is OK I guess just too much hassle when switching between
stations, a patch panel, the stack match and two six packs does just fine.

 

Station:

 

Flex 5000A 100 watts

KT36XA @80 ft

KT34XA @52 ft

80m Loop @52 ft

Shunt Fed LM470

Writelog

 

 

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