This year it was next step to apply SO2R, but still very far from what SO2R is about.
I didn’t have time to built set of more antennas to have enough choices to run effective with 2nd radio this year. Also second radio still without PA, so sometimes with only 60 W out.
Contest started with aim to sleep a lot before the contest. Some not risky works was done during the Friday. In a few contests tested setup was ready to final check and then enough portion of sleeping.
But final check had to be stopped after appearing of strong plastic smell in the hamshack. It looked like burning of microKEYER 2R+, but fortunately it was „only“ K9AY control box. Two wires decided to make short circuit to groung and burn plastic case after 2 years of no problem working. Disconnection, repairing and cable reconnections consumed cca 1,5 hour of sleeping time. Then I lost a lot of Saturday evening DXs, because of exhausting and headache. Few hours of sleeping was a must and it really helped a lot.
Start on 40m was nice, with few hours of averages of over 120 Q/h, with nice moments of about 240 Q/h. Also 80m was in good shape, with pileups, high numbers of NA and few great MULTS. 160m was only of average performance. K9AY performance doesn’t work very good and vertical isn’t perfect RX ANT. I have to seriously think about 4SQ RX non radial system to easy installation/deinstallation before/after contest in free accessed meadow far enough from TX ANTs.
20m as base high band, 15m so-so and hard work on 10m to dig at least something.
I was few times in EU Top Ten in SO AB HP NA, but the same performance is of second or third TEN. This year shows to everybody the direction of SO High End contesting. Paradox – during the sun spot cycle minimum. Strange! 2BSIQ guys are from other planet. One man shows compared to MS category… Unbelievable, what we can expecting during next few years? Big inspiration to rest of the world. We all have to learn a lot.
Thanks to all who make this contest what it is.
Final score: 2,547,125 Category: SO AB HP Rank: WW #67 EU #17 OM #1
RAW score: 2,676,342 Category: SO AB HP Rank: WW #67 EU #18 OM #1
Call: OM7RU
Operator(s): OM7RU
Station: OM7RU
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Dolna Micina
Operating Time (hrs): 42:46
Location: Northern Europe
Band QSOs Zones Countries ------------------------------------------------- 160: 147 7 46 80: 626 19 81 40: 994 28 97 20: 650 30 91 15: 148 24 62 10: 17 4 12 ------------------------------------------------- Total: 2582 112 389 Total Score 2,676,342
Club: OM0M Dozen Dashes Contest Club
Used equipments:
Yaesu FT-1000MP MarkV Field
Icom IC-706 MkII
ACOM 2000A
microHAM MK2R+
2x microHAM Station Master
2x OM Power OM6BPF
DXLog
Antennas:
160m: Vertical (35m tower + 2 elevated radials)
80m: OptiBeam OB1-80 rotary dipole @34m
AD-3446 multibander @31m:
40m: 3 elements
20m: 4 elements
15m: 4 elements
10m: 6 elements
40m: InvVee
20m: InvVee
K9AY RX loops
73!
Riki, OM7RU
www.tucek.sk/om7ru