The first full-time using 5-circle RX verticals after installing few protections.

The first three hours was the key point of the contest (almost 30% of QSOs), then hard work. First night with difficult NA conditions, none Caribbean. Saturday evening fine – 5 JAs called me, but not a lot AS or AF mults. Sunday morning with bad DX conditions. Fortunately 1 hour opening during my sunrise saved the US/VE mults score. Sunday evening with few more worthy mults (HL, VK) and surprise – 7D1C answered to my CQ.

I had problem with preamps burning of 5-circle vertical RX ANT during past contests. This time I took care about protecting of both, signal and control cables and maximizing separation of RX and TX coaxes. This have brought significant improving of RX/TX isolations.

There was a lot of strong signals, a few of them of really strong and wide, also a few even with side signals. It was nice visible on SDR spectrum (triangles instead of needles 🙂
I ran SO2V and SUB RX of MarkV Field is not so good filtered as MAIN. Another reason to think about new radio with identical filtered RXs. Another disadvantage of SO2V is battles about frequencies. If 2nd VFO QSO took a bit longer, my main frequency was over. In addition, when other guy was well equipped and used directional RX ANT, he didn’t have to hear me from 90° at all. So then a fight for frequency ensued. Anyway, that’s contesting too.

So, fine relax again, but final result belongs to weaker one, also number of available mults was lower.

Thanks to all patient Top band fans!

FINAL score:   413 091
Category:      SO HP
Rank:          WW #21   EU #7   OM #2

RAW score:     417 041
Category:      SO HP
Rank:          WW #22   EU #8   OM #2

Call: OM7K
Operator(s): OM7RU
Station: OM7RU
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: JN98OQ
Operating Time (hrs): 30:00
Location : Europe

Summary:

  QSOs     State/Prov   Countries   Total Score
-------------------------------------------------
   997         17           62          417,041
-------------------------------------------------

Used equipments:
Yaesu FT-1000MP MarkV Field
OM Power 3500A
microHAMs: MK2R+, Station Master, doubleTEN
OM Power OM6BPF
DXLog

Antennas:
Half Sloper, 5-circle RX verticals

73! Riki, OM7RU/OM7K
www.tucek.sk/om7ru