ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX CONTEST CW 2016

This year ARRL was one of most strange condx I have ever remembered.

I started on 40m, but it was disaster, band closed, somebody forget switch this band on. 80m a bit better and 160m with one fine opening, furtunately I was there. Morning with cca 40 % of expected rate. Saturday with better rates on high bands, but 10m dead. Early and suddenly closing of high bands. Next night started with 40m in good mood, 2 hours of rates nearly 90 Q/h, but at 0300Z again switched off. Few attempts to try it at 80m, but also suffering. Top band with no chance to new calls. Sunday opening of high bands was early, but rates around 40 Q/h. Then one of the highlight of the contest – 1 hour of 10m opening. I was able to hold „QSO meter“ over 200 Q/h for few minutes and catch worthy mults. Withal 2 hours of great opening of 20m.

Not a lot of intruders, but with more aggressive tactic. Funny unnamed SP M/S station. Sat suddenly just on me and pretend „I hear only NA“, deaf to my few QRL/QSY PSE. OK, I tried to test his antenna diagram by quick sending of USA call just 1 time. His „5NNKW“ was immediate. Then only one request to QSY was enough.

I built TX3A RX antenna to NA direction and it was good choice. Not evidently better at 40m, too low signal level at 160m, but killing big portion of 80m noise.

Thanks to all participants, for patience during QSBs.

Final score:   813 660
Category:      SO AB HP
Rank:          WW #74   EU #14   OM #3

Call: OM7RU
Operator(s): OM7RU
Station: OM7RU

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Dolna Micina
Operating Time (hrs): 32:40
Location : Northern Europe

Summary:

Band    QSOs  Mults
----------------------------------------
 160:     19    9
  80:    121   26
  40:    484   46
  20:    481   51
  15:    280   44
  10:     57   15
----------------------------------------
 Total: 1442  191  Total Score 826,266

Club: OM0M Dozen Dashes Contest Club

Used equipments:
Yaesu FT-1000MP MarkV Field
ACOM 2000A (1,5 kW OUT)
MicroHAM microKeyer, MicroHAM StationMaster
WinTest
UltraBeam UB ONE rotator

Antennas:
160m: Vertical (35m tower + 2 elevated radials)
80m: OptiBeam OB1-80 rotary dipole @34m
RX loop (TX3A design)
40m: InvVee @21m
20, 15, 10m: Cushcraft A4S 3 el. tribander @31m

73!
Riki, OM7RU