[SCCC] ARRL International DX Contest, SSB - 2024

[WARREN MYERS]

ARRL International DX Contest, SSB - 2024

Call: KN6ZZI
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: CA
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
Band  QSOs  Mults
---------------------
  40:       6       6	(chose to rest my cold instead of operate evenings)
  20:     60     43
  15:     95     51
  10:   163     48
---------------------
Total:  324   148  Claimed Score = 143,856

Club: Southern California Contest Club

Comment from a new operator.

Overall Experience:
Being a new operator (licensed General June 2023, Extra test next weekend), my objectives for this contest were: 1) Have fun, 2) log QSOs with as many rare stations as possible, 3) Learn a lot, and 4) achieve as high a score as possible given limitations (skill, QTH, Station).
Fun & exciting! So many stations and so many previously unheard (by me). 
Many great openings - due no doubt both to station quality & propagation.
My station/QTH worked well for So America and Asia on 10M and 15M - CQ stations almost always answered my first call.  I was able to hold a couple of runs for 20-30 minutes on Saturday.

Station/QTH Performance:
Yaesu FTdx101D, Elecraft KPA500, SteppIR Urban Beam (2 element Yagi).
Northern beam headings limited by hill immediately North of QTH.  In contrast, unobstructed perspective over Pacific Ocean, 1/4 mile distant, So East through No West.
Unable to penetrate Northern Europe pileups except for a brief opening on 20M mid-day Sunday  (unclear whether lower traffic or better opening?).  
Was able to complete QSOs with Southern Europe & African stations without trouble except for rarest locations.  Learned a lot about negotiating pile-ups to complete QSOs!
Happy to have made 36 “New to me” DXCC contacts.  Highlights included:
Africa: Malawi, Madagascar, Namibia, Madeira Islands, Morocco, Cape Verde Islands
So America: Suriname, Haiti, Peru, Paraguay,
Europe: Finland, Balearic Islands, Corsica, Cyprus
Caribbean: too many to list
Humbled & amazed by the magnitude difference between the SCCC high scores and mine - I have a long, long way to go!

Thanks for the QSOs and Elmering (past and future)!  I’ll be attending Visalia and hope to meet many of you there….

73s de KN6ZZI
Warren