[UK-CONTEST] CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

[Andy Summers]

CQ-WW-SSB
SINGLE-OP 80M LOW

QSOs   Zones    Countries
228    11       53

Claimed score: 17408

First serious attempt at CQWW from the home station, but it didn't go 
well. Similar to Steve, the plan was to take on the G record set by 
G3YBY last year, which I thought would be possible from the home QTH. 
Since all CQWW logs are available now, I was able to create some target 
rate graphs to compare progress. After the first 8 hours I was about 10 
Q's behind and knew by then it wasn't going to happen. This made it a 
bit easier to consider baling-out when some 'domestic' issues arose. 
After that point I just dabbled, but still sticking to 80m.

Why 80m, you might ask? I don't have any HF beam, just a 40ft vertical 
and a windom at 30ft. The vertical is pretty good on 40m, but I figured 
the differential between the vertical and the competition's antennas 
would be least on 80m. Actually, I was comparing the wrong antenna. 
About 95% of the time the windom was louder because the meat & potatoes 
of an 80M-LOW entry is all EU, and most of the time you're competing 
with QRM. It was considerably easier to work the US than eastern EU, and 
some of those whom I struggled with were bending the S-meter - boy they 
must be running some power! Something else I noticed was that the 
vertical wasn't that much better on the longer-haul stuff, and no better 
at all at sunrise. I have read that this isn't unusual at the Equinox, 
but it wasn't the case in BERU in March. Anyway, if I attempt this again 
I think getting a high dipole up would be better for the score.

I heard you, Steve, working the XE.
Crusty G: "Who are you talking to?"
GW4BLE: "XE(bla bla) - from Mexico. And he gave me a 59 signal report"
Silence.

In fairness, I couldn't really hear him either. Made me chuckle though.

73 Andy, G4KNO.

On 31/10/11 12:17, Steve GW4BLE wrote:
>                      CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB
>
> Call: GW4BLE
> Operator(s): GW4BLE
> Station: GW4BLE
>
> Class: SOSB/80 HP
> QTH: Newport
> Operating Time (hrs):
>
> Summary:
>   Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
> ------------------------------
>    160:
>     80: 1654    20       88
>     40:
>     20:
>     15:
>     10:
> ------------------------------
> Total: 1654    20      88  Total Score = 262,440
>
> Club: Contest Cambria
>
> Comments:
>
> Target was to beat GW4OFQ's 80m GW record set back in 1991.
>
> Big problem here with intermittent 'power line adaptor type' QRM, see:
>
> http://youtu.be/fiFEVYp1Mwo
>
> Using the WiMo 'QRM Eliminator' from WiMo Antennen und Elektronik GmbH
> helped to alleviate this to some extent,  and OFCOM (UK communications
> authority) are investigating the problem.
>
> 73
>
> Steve
> GW4BLE
>
>
> Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at:
> http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
>
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