Stew Perry Topband Challenge
Call: OT6M
Operator(s): ON9CC PC5A
Station: OT6M
Class: Multi-Op LP
QTH: Voeren
Operating Time (hrs): 11:37
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 289 Total Score = 1,583
Club: Bavarian Contest Club
Comments:
All winter season antennas (160m vertical, beverages and K9AY) had been setup by
Aurelio in the last weeks so we were timely ready to go. Oh ... well ... except
for that 3dB splitter to for feeding the RX antennas to both transceivers.
Luckily that was fixed in about 5 minutes :) ...
To give the contest a little more difficulty we decided to go for low power. If
that would really spoil the fun and make QSO's rates comparable to an SHF
contest, we could still during the power increase power. Target QSO's was set
just above last years number: 300 ... although we were high power last year.
So we started and the first hours seem to go well 'local'... hourly QSO rate
stayed above last years rates. Unfortunately no DX from the east was heard (VK,
HS, BY, JA etc...).
The first highlight came around midnight when we heard Dietmar V55V CQing!! He
was perfectly audible on our 300m long 165° beverage and sometimes peaked S2.
Although we only had low power, he heard us at the first or second call! WOW!
... our ODX until that moment with 8.110 km! Excellent ears he must have! We
listened to him for some minutes and he just kept calling CQ but worked almost
nobody. Unfortunately, no other DX heard from Africa or South-America.
Further on we heard NP2X from the Caribean but he couldn't hear us.
Then we heard N5IA in DM52! That would be a new ODX with 8778 km ... but then
again we were remembered that we were only using 100W. We had to call him for a
looooong time before even getting a QRZ or a 6M? ... Since we were this far into
the contest, switching to high power class was a no go ... so patience patience
patience and fingers crossing that he hears us during a QSB peak ... but in the
end we did make the QSO :)
We heard many other W/VE stations that were LOUD but who couldn't hear us
although we extensively called them. During sunrise we counted about 10-15 USA
station that were really loud but just couldn't hear us... which then also
lowers the QSO rate substantially.
We noticed no no strong sunrise peak with conditions to the West Coast. Anyway,
we ended the contest with 289 QSO's (27 W's, 3 VE's) and although we didn't
reach our target, this is still slightly more QSO's than last year. So we are
satisfied with the result ... and it's the fun that counts :)
Station description ... just as last year:
- IC7800 + Orion
- TX antennas: top loaded vertical (18m), dipole
- RX antennas:
- reversible beverages: 2x 300m, 2x 240m
- single beverage: 200m
- K9AY
- although in our category a skimmer would be allowed, we didn't use that or
any other assistance ... which makes you realise how difficult it then is to
search for weak DX stations ... and actually turn that VFO knob on your TRX :)
Thanks all for the QSO's and C U in the CQ160CW!
Happy New Year!
73
Frank ON9CC / OT6M
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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