Categories
Uncategorized

RDXC 2015

I haven’t done much contesting after WW CW last year. I skipped both ARRL DX contests and only messed around in both UBA DX contests. So I was glad to have the RDXC weekend. I had a ball last year (ended up #5) and I aimed for 2000 QSO – CW only HP category.

It became clear from the start that it would be a miracle to see the QSO counter jump beyond the 2k mark. Conditions were horrible it seemed. Despite the lousy propagation I managed to keep the rate just above 100/hr for the first half of the contest. So it was possible to get to 2k contacts. But then I had to go to the low bands. Lack of propagation, more QRN than usual and the local QRM source – the three elements to rain on my parade. The noise source was louder than ever and it made copying almost impossible. A headache would develop for sure, it was a pain to listen through it. Just after the halfway mark the rate went way down. Boredom set in together with fatigue. So I decided to sleep. I was very tired already before the contest and the low rate didn’t help to stay awake. So I went downstairs to hit the couch for an hour or two. And then I changed my mind. I took a snack, a drink, brushed my teeth for a fresh feeling and I went back into the shack. I decided to sweat it out.

The log shows a few short periods of inactivity. I dozed off twice for a few minutes and around 3AM local time I decided to close my eyes and slept for half an hour. That’s the flu and two hectic and stressful months acting up. Normally 24 hour contests are not a problem and even last year’s CQ WW CW went without sleep. But not now. I woke up with a sore neck but the power nap did its job.

RDXC2015

It was a struggle to get a run going and keep the rate above 60/hr. Once in a while a real DX called in and the occasional UA0 rare oblast. Then around 1000 utc the ten meter band opened up. Opened up this weekend meant: work in a 5000km range. Anything beyond was scarce and weak. I was glad to be called by a JA there for the mult.

The real time scoreboard added some fun yet I had to let the top 3 go after a while. After the slow and interrupted night, I dropped a few places. Given the propagation and the noise on 80/160 I think I did quite well. I really need to find the source of the noise. And then hopefully fix it. My first guess -a street light in the wide neighborhood- seems less likely than before. That leaves either my house or one of the neighbors…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.