First of all: a BIG
THANK YOU to my XYL who supported me during this weekend by checking how the
score progressed once in a while and feeding me in a timely fashion. That and
coping with my pre-contest stress and a garden full of aluminum and copper
wires. I would never enjoy this hobby without her approval and support. But I
would never stop contesting. 
Next: station setup
(see my website).
- N1MMLogger – accept
no substitute! - A microHAM MK2R+
driving a pair of TS-850 with band decoders and SO2R antenna
switching. - One kW amp for the
running TRX and the 2nd transceiver is operated
barefoot. - An OptiBeam OB11-3
tribander at 20m high. - Fritzel triband
vertical for SO2R. - 40m: 2 slopers with
simple A/B switching, one favoring USA and the
other in between JA and VK facing UA. - 80m: inverted L vertical, with feedpoint and 2 elevated radials at 4m
high. - 160m: shorty
inverted V loaded with coils.
My target? Based on
last year: 3000 QSO and I was shooting for 3M points. A bit too optimistic since
10m was dead and 15m was poor at best. You can see the comparison with last year
in the picture below.
Highlights:
- Working my friend
K7GK on 40m long path on my sunset. - Working VK9AA on 4
bands (10+15+20+40). - Getting called by
numerous DX. - I run 160 and see
SV9CVY on 80m. I go and work him and he asks to QSY to 160m. I tell him my QRG
and says he’ll CQ there. I tell him I am CQing there, so in one minute I had two
mults… SO2R pays! I was assisted this time but it pays even more when unassisted.
Lowlight: ZS4TX asked to move
from 40m to 80m but his proposed QRG was occupied by two ragchewers so that
didn’t work out. Bummer!
Some
thoughts:
- The contest was
long, I prefer 24h contests. Yet I don’t plea to reduce it or add part time
entries. This is The Big One, no mercy on the battlefield! - DX propagation on
40m LP at my sunset works but only 2 z3 worked (K7GK and WC6H). Last year I
worked some more. - The rates were
average, no real peaks like I remember from 2001 when I started contesting. I
guess the sun needs to cooperate and support long openings to
USA and
JA? - Operation was quite
courteous. I didn’t get bothered this time. - Fantastic
participation. CW dying? Yeah right!
All for now, need
to clean up the shack and the garden and catch up on postponed
duties.
73 ES
BCNU!