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M0BLF CQWW SSB 2005 SOAB(A) Band QSOs DXCC Zones 80m 21 16 4 40m 63 31 7 20m 164 53 15 15m 75 27 10 Totals: 324 127 36 QSO points: 445 Claimed score: 72535 Total time on: 12h52mins (12.87hrs) Equiv. rate: 25.18 QSOs / hour
Rather than returning to M4A this year, I went home for a part-time SOAB(A) attempt for about 13 hours, with the main aims of getting some new DXCCs and testing my equipment. The claimed score is 72,535.
This was just a simple part-time operation. It was never designed for winning anything as I only had one day at home (and some of that had to be spent with family and not keeping them awake all night. The equipment was:
All of the equipment performed well. The 40m dipole was only up for about four hours before it collapsed in the wind, but enabled me to work some of the nearer parts of Europe which would have been difficult on the vertical. The problems with the vertical on 80m, discussed in the blog, are not a criticism of the antenna, whih I find performs generally very well. I suspect the real reason behind the problems I was having is the combination of the facts that I never paid much attention to adjusting the lengths for the lower bands, and so it could probably be improved (it certainly needs more radials as well), with the nature of most multi-band verticals to only have a small bandwidth.
Zones worked per band: 80m 14 15 16 33 40m 04 05 14 15 16 17 33 20m 03 04 05 09 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 25 33 35 40 15m 04 05 14 15 16 17 18 20 33 40
This was the first contest I have done seriously with the new Win-Test software, and so I was eager to see how it performed. Normally I use WriteLog. When contesting from the M4A station, I can usually be found swearing at WriteLog about 30 mins before a contest, trying to work out why it won't interface with the rigs or keyers or something.
Admittedly, the first time I ever interfaced Win-Test to my rig (IC-706Mk2G), I couldn't persuade it to work, and so changed the rig's hexadecimal address to the default used by the IC-706Mk2, and told Win-Test I had that. That solved the problem. On subsequent occassions, it has generally worked first time, (as indeed it did for this contest), although sometimes I have found that Win-Test hasn't established communication properly, and so it is necessary to quit W-T and load another rig control program, the quit that and restart W-T. Nevertheless, the whole operation is so much easier that WriteLog. While on the subject of rig control, I tend to use 9600 baud for the communication. While it makes the bandmap slightly slow to respond while tuning, I find it is more reliable than faster speeds.
In use, Win-Test worked like a dream. It didn't crash once, the cluster features never complained when my Wi-Fi internet connection periodically dropped out, and simple things like editing previously-made QSOs are easily accessible from the keyboard. During the contest, I actually couldn't fault it at all. The only feature from WriteLog that I miss, it the detailed post-contest reports (such as rates per hour), which don't seem to be available.
Update 4-Jan-06: Laurent F6FVY, one of the Win-Test authors, emailed me to correct this as below. So perhaps the relative lack of documentation in this early version is the only problem :)
Just display the data you want in the Stats Window (Ctrl-F9), then right click, and "Copy as text". Then, open a text editor (notepad) or a spreadsheet software, and "Copy" in it. You will get the report you were looking for.
One of the advantages in not doing a multi-operator operation this year is that my QSOs actually count for my DXCC score. EA9, HB9, HB0, OH0 and T7 were all (somewhat suprisingly, as none are particularly rare) new DXCCs for my callsign during the contest. I got a total of 56 new band slots during the weekend.
This blog was run on this page live during the contest. I did actually make a few QSOs after the final entry below, while packing for my return to Birmingham.
30-Oct 07:45
Probably have to stop here, as I need to pack to leave shortly. Not much on 40m that I could work, so have been on 20m working lots of one pointers. 316 QSOs, 67,981 points.
30-Oct 07:12
QSO 301, 64,480 points
30-Oct 06:25
Spent the last hour having a few QSOs on 80m, where I have now made 21 QSOs. I still felt very weak, but some local stations were just about copying me. Now off for breakfast before a quick stint on 40m.
30-Oct 00:25
Found the very small part of 80m where my vertical will almost tune. So, I have been working mults on 80, now made it to 258 contacts and 50,260 points.
29-Oct 23:29
The one advantage of using a vertical on 40 is the low angle of radioation for DX. I've never really worked split stateside on this band from home before, and it actually works quite well.
29-Oct 22:29
Slow, but had a few mults on 40, giving me a score of 40,098 now with 237 Qs.
29-Oct 21:50
After almost an hour of trying, I have managed one QSO on 80m and none on 40m. Obviously I need to work on the vertical a bit more before another contest, and get some more durable low-band antennas! I'm currently on 38,040 points. Reaching 50,000 before I have to pack up around 9 UTC tomorrow morning is now looking unlikely!
29-Oct 21:09
Went for a quick biscuit and water break and came back to find that 40m was very quiet. The dipole had collapsed outside. Or rather, the chocolate box in the centre had become untaped from the fibreglass pole. With the wind picking up outside, I decided to take it down. The dipole wire is strewn around on the ground by the vertical, hopefully adding some form of ground-plane, and I'll have to try to pursuade the vertical to tune overnight.
29-Oct 19:01
The problem with 40m is the noise level. I have had just 12 QSOs in the last hour, despite hearing and needing lots of people. I'm just too weak to compete with the noise with only 100W.
29-Oct 17:06
Off to dinner with 203 QSOs, 31,065 points.
29-Oct 16:41
QSO number 200. 29,256 points.
29-Oct 16:28
Just seen myself spotted by someone I was calling on their frequency, with the spot comment Cq contest :S
29-Oct 15:23
Slow for the last couple hours. Now on 193 QSOs, with 26,159 points. Going outside to put up 40m dipole for tonight. Will concentrate on 40, and not worry too much about 80 this evening.
29-Oct 12:22
Break for lunch. 156 QSOs 17,296 points. Nice opening stateside on 15.
29-Oct 11:34
Now on 15m. Over 10,000 points
29-Oct 11:08
First transatlantic! VY2PA on 20m
29-Oct 10:05
Just worked QSO 100. Last 10 at 64Q/h.
29-Oct 09:05
Quick break for breakfast. 85 QSOs, 5742 score so far.
29-Oct 07:23
Had a last 10 rate of 44 Q/h in the last few minutes, and now over 1000 points.
29-Oct 07:00
Moved to 20m around 07:20, still S and P only (no point in calling). Signals are weak into Europe, but the band is almost free of noise and it's nowhere near as crowded as 40m.
29-Oct 06:15
Started again at 06:00, had a look at 80m quickly but still could work nothing so then moved to 40m. Still very hard; almost nobody can hear me.
29-Oct 00:40
Not a good start - As I had feared, 40m was too crowded and the receiver in the 706 quickly overloaded. I was also aware that I was very weak. Moved onto 80m at 00:30, where there were lots of very strong stations, but I couldn't work any of them due to the antenna not tuning. Will have to put up a dipole for this band tomorrow. Off to bed now...
28-Oct 23:46
Less than 15 mins to go. Listening to 40m. Will probably start with a bit of S and P on 40, and then go to bed after a quick search of the band. I'll start properly tomorrow.
28-Oct 23:30
Ready to roll! I have to say that setting up Win-Test for this one was a doddle and took a lot less time than Writelog, which I am used to. I only came home two hours ago and everything (Packet via telnet, rig interfacing to the 706, configuring Win-Test) has worked first time. Will be interesting to see how it performs in the contest.
SSB CW 160 80 40 30 20 17 15 12 10 6 TTY
3V wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Tunisia
4L wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Georgia
4X wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- Israel
9A wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Croatia
CT wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Portugal
CT3 wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Madeira Is.
D4 wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Cape Verde
DL wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Fed. Rep. of Germany
EA wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Spain
EA8 wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Canary Is.
EA9 wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Ceuta/Melilla
ER wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Moldova
ES wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Estonia
EU wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Belarus
EY wrk --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Tajikistan
F wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- France
G wrk --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- England
GM wrk --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Scotland
HA wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Hungary
HB wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Switzerland
HB0 wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Liechtenstein
I wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Italy
IS0 wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Sardinia
JA wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Japan
LA wrk --- --- wrk --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Norway
LX wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Luxembourg
LY wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Lithuania
LZ wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Bulgaria
OE wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Austria
OH wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Finland
OH0 wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Aland Is.
OK wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Czech Republic
OM wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Slovak Republic
ON wrk --- --- wrk --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Belgium
OZ wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Denmark
PA wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Netherlands
PJ2 wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Bonaire/Curacao
S5 wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Slovenia
SM wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Sweden
SP wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Poland
SV wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- Greece
SV5 wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Dodecanese
SV9 wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- Crete
T7 wrk --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- San Marino
TA wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Turkey
TF wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Iceland
UA wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- European Russia
UA2 wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Kaliningrad
UA9 wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Asiatic Russia
UN wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Kazakhstan
UR wrk --- --- wrk wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Ukraine
VE wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Canada
W wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- USA
YL wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Latvia
YO wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Romania
YU wrk --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Serbia and Montenegro
Z3 wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- wrk --- --- --- --- Macedonia
ZB wrk --- --- --- --- --- wrk --- --- --- --- --- --- Gibraltar
____________________________________________________
Total: 58 0 0 16 31 0 53 0 27 0 0 0 0
Ahh - Found them :) Seems the CQWW SSB results have also been leaked onto the internet. I came second out of three (sounds impressive until you compare my score to G0TSM's 450,072) with a score of 70,356 in the SO(A)AB LP category - not too far away from my claimed 72,535. Looks like some of the busted calls might have been due to M0WLF also being on, though with a score over 645,000, he did a lot better than I!