Please post your results here (don’t forget to submit it to the sponsor as well) by leaving a reply to this posting. If you don’t post your results here, it probably won’t get included in the CTRI Champions Leaderboard.
Hope every one had fun!
73, Ken K3IU
Keeper of the CTRI Champions Leaderboard
Bands weren’t in top condition but I was surprised at how well 10 meters held up. Seemed to be pretty good activity. From the club, I only heard K1SD, W1AN, W1XX, and KI1G.
It was fun.
Jim KS1J
Nice score Jim. If you didn’t operate in this one you missed some very good conditions, especially 10 and 15M. Multipliers were in abundance so most of my limited time was spent in S&P. Many, many 100W and even some QRP were calling CQ, all bands, with terrific signals. Heard W1CTN, KI1G, K1SD, KS1J.
A big one is coming up at the end of the month, WPX SSB. Hope we can put together a M2 effort.
73, John W1AN
Call: W1XX
Op: W1XX
Station: W1XX
Class: SOSB/40 HP
QTH: RI
Op Time (hrs): 14.0
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
———————————
160 1 1
40: 696 83
———————————
Total: 696 83 Total Score = 173,304
Club: CTRI Contest Group
Comments:
You have to be nuts to operate 40 meter single-band phone in a contest. I fit the bill. I do it because I don’t have to then operate both day and night. Only night. Plus in the words of W1AN, I have a “booming” signal on 40.
To put that booming signal to work however, you have to find a clear frequency to call CQ. That’s the rub. There isn’t a clear frequency. Ever. Even if you find one relatively clear, the sidebands from stations who are even more booming will prevent you from hearing the 100-watt DX…a necessity to score well. My solution is to work split. TX above 7200 and RX below 7125. The rate is not as good as simplex, but it works.
But I did find a temporary solution near the end of the contest. Since W1 “sees” Europe first, at 4:30 EDST I did find a nice clear frequency on 7193. Oooops, after a few minutes, a nice request from the boys on 92…no problem, I’ll move up to 95. After an hour + of running, the good-ole-boys network starts up exercising their multi-year lease on the frequency. They ain’t going to give up. And they ain’t very nice about it. I just can’t hear the weak EUs….so no choice but to give up. End of contest.
Flash back to Sunday morning when I attained “40 meter nirvana”: About an hour and a half before sunrise, K8GP was operating on the 40 meter sweet spot, 7128, closest to the lower band edge. It’s the best frequency on the band. By chance, I overheard the present resident say to another station that his time was limited and had to get ready for work. Before long he was gone. “Is the frequency in use?” drew silence. I pushed ahead: “CQ Contest.” The next hour-and-a-half put a slew of JAs and VKs and an FK8 in the log. I wiped the perceived drool off the radio from the big guns no doubt listening and coveting the frequency prize. Small victories…that made my contest. Yes, I am nuts.
Late report: KS1J has gone bonkers. He has posted a big LP PHONE score!
73, John, W1XX
ARRL DX Contest, SSB
Comments:
Excuses:
About 3 feet of snow kept me from doing any antenna prep before the test. 80 meter inverted V still cut for RTTY. Lower tribander pointed West instead of Europe. Microphone developed an intermittent open Saturday morning during a good 10 meter run; limiting me to mostly S&P with the pre-recorded macros for the majority of the contest. Did get a 20 meter run going Sunday.
Still, fairly pleased with the results. Heard W1AN a couple of times; KI1G several times on Saturday but nothing after that; KS1J all weekend; great score Jim; didn’t spend enough time on 40 to hear W1XX.
73 James K1SD
Elecraft K3; Ten Tec Titan
Bencher Skyhawk @ 70′; Cushcraft A4S @ 42′; WX0B Stackmatch; Inverted Vs 40 and 80. Nuthin on 160.