[UK-CONTEST] ARRL G3LZQ Part-time Effort

[John Dunnington]

Interesting reading all the individual comment on their exploits over last
weekend. For the second year running the weekend clashed with the local half
term break so we get to have the our 3-Grandchildren stop over to help out
their working parents. Radio played a back seat for once in the year. Not
being one to give up easy I sort of planned a good test for the LF Bands but
after 60-mins at the start N1MM which I hardly ever use started having
hiccup style keying and variable key down delays unable to clear it I quit.
Up early Sat AM and I configured trusty SD put in the few QSO's (120)  off
line and off and running by 0745z  and had a good 2-hrs on 40m trying the
new wire beam (3-ele delta loop). Managed to return at 16z to find 10m open
for a short stint, then at 19z back agn and surprise 15m still open. Finally
got serious again to find 40m wide open at 2045z and by 22z even 80m had
some very strong signal albeit East Coast.  A quick look on 160m found some
decent signals so bang went my promised early night to prepare for Sunday
daytime activities (Looking for Viking Marauders in York).
The midnight opening on 160m stayed good through 0130z when signal levels
dropped 2-3 S pts. Back to 40/80m until a check on 160m at 03z found KC1XX
bending my ears he was so strong so a steady stream until 0430z when a move
back to 80m (Less noise bigger signals) made it easier on the hard pressed
brain. A final move to 160m for the pre-dawn hour from 06z was productive
and steady but frequent bad mannered Eu moving cycles away and clicking away
took the edge off a very good session when several West Coast stations
called in. In particular the regular N7JW K7CA both in Utah were extremely
strong. A move back to 80m 0755 showed how good 80m was when the first
3-QSO's following a CQ produced 3-in CA all at very strong levels.
Interesting that Sun am 80/40 did not stay open as late as Sat AM but K5GO
(AR) was wkd at 0806z on 80m (60-mins after sun rise). At 0815z I quit for
some sleep to be interrupted at 11z by visitors who took the XYL and the
small visitors off into York chasing the Vikings leaving the OM to spend
time on his radio. Of course by now a lost cause but 10m had some brief
openings almost ESP levels at times. 15m remained open until around 19z but
by 1930z 40m was already singing and some very strong signals from the big
multi's but no second layer. The remaining couple of hours was spent giving
out points on 20/40/80.
Conclusions well don't think it was as good as 2001 although perhaps 80m had
a bigger spread of stations, missed 10/15 of course, and felt not many VE's
this year as in previous years. Can't ever remember wkg Labrador over the
past 5-yrs on LF in this one but having read the "Saga of VY2ZM on 3830 can
understand why".

G3LZQ   -   State Multipliers for 80m Metres (Antenna 4-SQ)

AB  AL  AR  AZ  BC  CA  CO  CT  DC  DE  FL  GA  IA  IL  IN
KS  KY  LA  MA  MD  ME  MI  MN  MO  MS  NB  NC  NE  NF  NH
NJ  NV  NY  OH  OK  ON  OR  PA  PE  RI  TN  TX  VA  WI  WV



G3LZQ   -   State Multipliers for 160m Metres  (90ft Vertical)

AL  AR  CT  DE  FL  GA  IL  IN  KS  KY  LA  MA  MD  ME  MI
NB  NC  NF  NH  NJ  NM  NS  NY  OH  ON  PA  PE  QC  RI  TN
TX  UT  VA  VT  WI  WV

                160m  80m  40m  20m  15m  10m  Total  707,610 Pts

    Valid QSOs:  183  242  144  190  191   80  1030
  Total States:   36   45   37   45   42   24   229
  Total Points:  549  726  432  570  573  240  3090

So there you go Lee you beat me!

73 John G3LZQ