[UK-CONTEST] ARRL 10m G3YMC QRP CW

[Dave Sergeant]

 G3YMC QRP CW only

    Valid QSOs: 147
   Total Mults:    39
  Total Points:   588

    Area Mults:   11

 Country Mults: 28

Claimed score: 22,932

Rig Elecraft K2, 5W, antenna 3/4 wave vertical groundplane.

What a change from last year! I guess I can only say that it was 
rather better than I had imagined, I had visions of sending in a log 
with just a few G QSOs in it!

Slow at times, quite busy at others and certainly the band was 
unpredictable. Most of the propagation seemed to be very localised, 
with say at times nothing but EA stations to be heard. I guess it was 
some form of sporadic E. The strange opening to Eastern Europe on 
Saturday evening well after dark was one of these with S9 signals 
from ZA, YU and surprisingly OE (and no sign of the USA stations 
Nigel mentioned). And you had to catch the DX when it was on, ten 
minutes later it would have disappeared in the noise!

On QRP it was certainly hard work. Last year I was working W's like 
shelling peas. this year I was struggling to work even the stronger 
ones which is why my states multipliers is abysmal. And surprisingly 
most of the W's seemed to be in Florida and the Carolinas, extended 
sporadic E perhaps?

I had a rummage through my old QSTs the other day and it is 
interesting to compare the scores in my section (DX CW QRP). The 
leaders are as follows:

1991  G4BUE  202,420
1992  OZ3PE  163,664
1993  9A2NW   38,304
1994  JA6OBK  800

I guess this year is going to turn out similar to 1992. I was 
heartened to achieve JA6OBK's 1994 score within my first hour!

73 Dave G3YMC

dsergeant at btinternet.com
http://www.btinternet.com/~dsergeant