[UK-CONTEST] CQWW CW M6W SOSB(A)/80 LP

[Dez Watson]

                     CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: M6W
Operator: G3WW / G0DEZ
Station: G4EHT

Class: SOSB(A)/80 LP
QTH: Lichfield
Operating Time (hrs): 34

Summary:
  Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
   160:
    80: 1049    18       99
    40:
    20:
    15:
    10:
------------------------------
Total: 1049    18       99  Total Score = 179,000

Club: Chiltern DX Club

Comments:

Fancied 80m this time around, thought it would prove lucrative for collecting
band slots. Despite a laughable antenna, I wasn't disappointed.

The antenna for 80 is nothing more than a 30 ft / 10 mtr fishing pole with wire
run up the side. The loading coil is about 1/3 the way up. Naturally the
bandwidth is narrow, around 40 kHz usable. To complete the picture it all fits
in a 25 ft x 25 ft garden surrounded by taller trees for extra RF absorption.

The noise on 80 the first night seemed none existent and despite being barefoot
I felt like I had a big gun signal working quite a few new ones, some of which
were really quite weak. At times though, 80 sounded more like 40 or 20.

When Saturday dawn broke and 80 closed, I fitted an auto ATU at the base of the
vertical. That made working 3500 ~ 3600 kHz comfortable for the remainder of the
contest. In sub-zero temperatures the little LDG ATU worked fantastic.

Sunday seemed noisier. The band opened and closed around the same time each
day. It was a good exercise learning 80m propagation as I've not spent much
time on 80 in the past.

In the end I surpassed my targets by quite a margin working 12 new band slots.

Almost all DX I heard I worked, except Japan, HD2A&  8Q7DV, the latter which
was booming but had a fierce pile-up. I never heard a whisper from VK, ZL, ZL8
or ZS.

And what happened to EA6, TF and HB0?

Most frustrating thing was HD2M busted my call and then told me I was a dupe!

I wonder which M6 worked them?!

FT-1000MP (100w)
30 feet vertical (homebrew by G4EHT)

73

Dez, G3WW / G0DEZ