I decided to try run Low Power, so completely new experience in one of the major contests. My ACOM 2000A is in poor condition and repairing is complicated, so I decided that I won’t fight with it during the whole contest and I won’t lose precious energy.
I had ambitious plan to complete redesign of station setup to SO2R (I definitely hate making cables/connectors forever!). It was almost done. Except two micro mistakes in RX antenna wiring. Finding, repairing and testing it consumpted all time reserve originally dedicated to sufficient sleeping before the contest. And also lack of possibility to complete of 160m ANT. Freezing rain turned the tower to one piece of ice.
I operated from 0000 UTC till the end of my energy – on Saturday afternoon. I lost major high bands operating time. Conditions were strange. Low bands fairly good, but high bands needs good antenna farm to keep rates high. Nicely opened 15m, but I lost Saturday afternoon. So high bands result is poor. I used Radio 2 as often as it was possible, nevertheless the mults number is nothing special. Yes, due to conditions and Corona as well…
At the end of the day… one crazy comparison:
Two CQ WW DX CW SOAB LP non-assisted contests:
+----------+----------+---------------+
I QSOs I MULTs I RAW SCORE I
+-------------+----------+----------+---------------+
I 2003 I 1218 I 400 I 770 800 I
I 2020 I 2072 I 355 I 1 144 520 I
+-------------+----------+----------+---------------+
I 2020/2003 I +70% I -11% I +49% I
+-------------+----------+----------+---------------+
And essential info:
2003 setup: IC-706 MKII, MFJ-969 antenna tuner, W3DZZ @5m above the flat roof, from the middle of the city.
2020 setup: see below, from out of town rural area…
Thanks to all who took part.
FINAL score: 1,089,495 Category: SO AB LP Rank: WW #30 EU #10 OM #1
RAW score: 1,144,520 Category: SO AB LP Rank: WW #35 EU #12 OM #1
Call: OM7RU
Operator(s): OM7RU
Station: OM7RU
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Dolna Micina
Operating Time (hrs): 42:46
Location: Northern Europe
Radios: SO2R
Band QSOs Zones Countries ------------------------------------------------- 160: 221 8 34 80: 621 9 47 40: 702 20 72 20: 346 18 56 15: 148 19 48 10: 34 8 16 ------------------------------------------------- Total: 2072 82 273 Total Score 1,144,520
Club: OM0M Dozen Dashes Contest Club
Used equipments:
Yaesu FT-1000MP MarkV Field
Kenwood TS-590SG
microHAM MK2R+
2x microHAM Station Master
2x OM Power OM6BPF
microHAM doubleTEN ANT switch
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