ARRL SSB DX Contest Reports And Stories

[N1API]

START-OF-LOG: 3.0
LOCATION: CT
CALLSIGN: N1API
CLUB: Meriden ARC
CONTEST: ARRL-DX-SSB
CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
CATEGORY-ASSISTED: ASSISTED
CATEGORY-BAND: ALL
CATEGORY-MODE: SSB
CATEGORY-POWER: LOW
CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED
CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE
CLAIMED-SCORE: 224100
OPERATORS: N1API
NAME: Al
ADDRESS:
ADDRESS-CITY: Meriden
ADDRESS-STATE-PROVINCE: CT
ADDRESS-COUNTRY: UNITED STATES
CREATED-BY: N1MM Logger+ 1.0.6076.0

Band ------ QSOs ------ Cty
7 ----------- 40 ------- 26
14 --------- 257 ------- 82
21 --------- 123 ------- 43
28 ---------- 30 ------- 15
Total -------450 -------166
Score 224,100

Well I started out on 40 at the club station and ended up on 40 at home. 40 was a tough band to start. Probably because of the solar conditions all weekend. The A was 22, K was 3 and the solar flux only about 73. Those number did not change much all weekend. The A is starting to come down now but Flux is at 72 and the K is at 4.

Tough conditions all around this weekend. When I got home Friday evening I checked 40 meters and I could hear nothing so I did not do anything all Friday. Saturday morning I made about 15 QSOs and headed up to W1NRG to take some photos. Got home about 11:30 AM and started to work 15 and 20 meters. 10, then was dead. I worked mostly 20 which was pretty good and some 15 also. Managed a few QSOs on 40 Saturday which still was a tough band. Sunday concentrated on 20, 15 and even 10 meters looking for the multipliers. I switched to 40 at the end of the contest and it was still rough going. It was "dark" out but we were not in the gray line yet. But as soon as we got into the gray line 40 meters opened up to the south. From 2320 to 2356 UTC I worked 10 multipliers and three regular contacts. The first one was ON4UN and I was working that pileup for about 20 minuets. So I don't think I can count that as part of the gray line opening.

So that's the story for me. Hope you all had time on this weekend, either from your home stations, the club or both.

Al - N1API