ARRL 10-Meter Contest - 2023
Call: K2DRH
Operator(s): K2DRH
Station: K2DRH
Class: SO SSB Unlimited LP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 21
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
CW:
SSB: 1313 145
-------------------
Total: 1313 145 Total Score = 380,480
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
That was a fun ride! Friday evening start the band was open long for a half
hour to the Pacific but outside of W1AW/KH6 and a few VKs it was pretty sparse.
Saturday Eu was in about 1300Z but pretty weak and I had to wait for it to build
before I could be heard low power. Could not get a run going at all so S&P
for mults to EU, a few AF, SA and the Carrib. By 1600Z it was dying off and CQs
brought the west coast off the back with a smattering of East coast backscatter
so I kept looking east for a while. By 1700Z it was full on west coast and
stayed that way for next several hours with decent rates.
I made sure to get a run spot below 500 to reap the old Novice and Tech bonanza
and had to move a few times when I got edged out by stronger stations. All the
while sniping mults off the cluster on the second radio (actually the other
slice of the Flex). V73ML came up in my pileup at 2119 and I was hoping for an
early run to the Pacific and JA but that never happened. The band shut down
just after 2300 (5PM) with about 650 Qs in the log never to return; not even the
usual domestic bursts since we were well off the Geminids peak.
Sunday EU was in again at 1300Z but this time a lot stronger; yet not so crowded
I couldn’t land a run frequency by 1400Z. The next two hours were excellent
I was alternating mults on the other radio and worked VR2XAN LP, and TA3DE SP
but that was the only morning Asia. SA was all over, and I heard a lot of East
Coast backscatter and a few juicy mults like N1JEZ VT landed in my pileup. Not
all that many Caribbean were evident.
By 1600Z Eu was dying off again and CA was off the back again. The rates were
not as good as Saturday but still steady. At 1957Z I worked KH6TU HI and KL7DUG
AK back-to-back in the same minute when they came up my pileup! I usually only
work a few Idaho but this time I worked almost 3 dozen. Lots of JA came up in
my pile this time too but I was disappointed not to see more Asia. Never heard
DEL or DC and WV eluded me, the only states I didn’t work. To compensate
there were a lot more XE states on than usual. The Canadian provinces were well
represented and I only missed NT and NU.
Sunday I was receiving 20 over reports with 100W and working QRP CA station at
S7-9 while some of west coast big guns were 40+ over. A few were splattering
NASTY with wide Christmas tree skirts starting only 20db down from the peak.
Carelessness or European style clear frequency contest tactics? I got caught
between two about 5 above and 5 below me and had to move – then watched as my
previous CQ gap spot stayed “clear” for a long, long time! Sherwood is
right, we need to work on cleaner TX now, not better RX anymore!
I was amazed that I worked about as many stations Sunday as I did Friday and
Saturday. I really like SO Unlimited since I can use my multiop skills chasing
mults as well as run. Looks like I broke my 2014 NA SOULP SSB record as W9XG
(K2DRH op) by about 40K, with more Qs but fewer mults. Hopefully my score will
hold up and take top NA for this category again for number 10 in a row.
73 de Bob2 K2DRH
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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