ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 6
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 1
40: 41
20: 98
15:
10:
------------
Total: 140 Sections = 58 Total Score = 16,240
Club:
Comments:
Was kind of looking forward to this one as conditions were supposed to be good and the station is in top form (although at the moment I have no antennas up for 10/15m). Things went off the rails right at the bell as, despite my careful configuring and testing, N1MM started doing weird things. After a dozen QSOs I had to QRT for a few minutes and find that proverbial "obscure checkbox" that was messing things up. Things were ok after that but there just didn't seem to be as much demand for NT as I thought there would be. I couldn't get anything going on 40 even with the "new" 40m yagi finally up after all these years. S&Pd through the band a couple of times and called it quits shortly after 0400z. Never found the motivation to get back on Sunday. Full 24-hour BIC effort guaranteed for Phone in a couple of weeks!
73
John VE8EV
Showing posts with label 3830. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3830. Show all posts
Monday, November 6, 2017
Sunday, March 5, 2017
ARRL DX SSB VE8EV SO Unlimited HP
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 19
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 1 1
80: 2 2
40: 56 28
20: 90 32
15: 2 2
10:
-------------------
Total: 151 65 Total Score = 29,445
Comments:
If you think conditions were bad where YOU were, you should try it from up here. It was awful! After raging for most of the week, the aurora died out a bit Friday evening for the start of the contest but returned a few hours later and shut all the bands up tight. 20m was wobbly all day Saturday with only the strongest stations making it through. Late Saturday night 40m opened up a bit and I worked a handful of Caribbean stations in the wee hours. I was hoping for 80m to come up too and even heard a few stateside stations but everything died out again around East coast sunrise. Sunday was just as pitiful as Saturday was. At one point I decided to do something more pleasant and turned the radio off for a few hours to file my taxes. By the time the contest ended Sunday evening the shack was also very clean and vacuumed...
73
John VE8EV
Sunday, March 6, 2016
ARRLDX SSB VE8EV SOSB/20 HP
ARRL DX Contest, SSB
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOSB/20 HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 34
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80:
40:
20: 1393 105
15:
10:
-------------------
Total: 1393 105 Total Score = 433,440
Club:
Comments:
The forecast said that it was coming and, oh boy, did it ever hit me hard! Sunday its usually difficult enough to find new guys to work when you're doing SOSB but from up here, with the K-index at 7, it's excruciating! I CQ'd endlessly in every direction and regularly S&P'd the band but to no avail. The last four hours had only two dozen Q's and a third of those were dupes and VE's.
The band was mostly ok on Friday and Saturday before the aurora hit and I'm glad I took the opportunity to make hay while the sun shined. As always in this contest there were lots of zero-pointers and an astounding number of dupes but it was still lots of fun. The station is really starting to come together now and next contest season is going to be even better!
73
John VE8EV
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOSB/20 HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 34
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80:
40:
20: 1393 105
15:
10:
-------------------
Total: 1393 105 Total Score = 433,440
Club:
Comments:
The forecast said that it was coming and, oh boy, did it ever hit me hard! Sunday its usually difficult enough to find new guys to work when you're doing SOSB but from up here, with the K-index at 7, it's excruciating! I CQ'd endlessly in every direction and regularly S&P'd the band but to no avail. The last four hours had only two dozen Q's and a third of those were dupes and VE's.
The band was mostly ok on Friday and Saturday before the aurora hit and I'm glad I took the opportunity to make hay while the sun shined. As always in this contest there were lots of zero-pointers and an astounding number of dupes but it was still lots of fun. The station is really starting to come together now and next contest season is going to be even better!
73
John VE8EV
Sunday, January 10, 2016
NAQP CW VE8EV/KH6 Single Op QRP
Call: VE8EV/KH6
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV/KH6
Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: Maui
Operating Time (hrs): 6
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80: 1 1
40: 8 6
20: 11 7
15: 8 5
10: 1 1
-------------------
Total: 29 20 Total Score = 580
Team:
Comments:
First time ever QRP but I'm an expert at operating from the middle of nowhere when no one can hear you calling. All the bands were open at one time or another and I S&P'd my way around, just happy to be here. Most stations I called eventually did pull me through although I felt a bit bad for them all as "VE8EV/KH6" is a bit of a mind-bender and especially so at QRP strength. I managed to work both coasts but didn't hear any VEs.
73
John VE8EV
105ft dipole up 30ft in the trees, Flex 1500
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV/KH6
Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: Maui
Operating Time (hrs): 6
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80: 1 1
40: 8 6
20: 11 7
15: 8 5
10: 1 1
-------------------
Total: 29 20 Total Score = 580
Team:
Comments:
First time ever QRP but I'm an expert at operating from the middle of nowhere when no one can hear you calling. All the bands were open at one time or another and I S&P'd my way around, just happy to be here. Most stations I called eventually did pull me through although I felt a bit bad for them all as "VE8EV/KH6" is a bit of a mind-bender and especially so at QRP strength. I managed to work both coasts but didn't hear any VEs.
73
John VE8EV
105ft dipole up 30ft in the trees, Flex 1500
Monday, November 23, 2015
SS SSB VE8EV Multi-Op HP
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 23
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 1
40: 89
20: 599
15: 588
10: 49
------------
Total: 1326 Sections = 83 Total Score = 220,116
Comments:
SS from NT is always about the aurora. After the relatively quiet conditions during CQWW exactly one solar rotation ago, I knew conditions for SS Phone were going to be above average. With the solar cycle on the wane I thought this might be the last chance to take a run at a section record so I went as "Multi" for this one.
I could tell the geomagnetic field stayed fairly quiet as conditions on 40m were fair from up here (which means I worked almost everyone I could hear) but the lack of sunspots showed on 10m where activity was way down from the past few years. 15m and 20m were beyond crowded. I got pushed off a run frequency more often than I could count but thankfully the spotters were out in force and starting over wasn't the chore it usually is. Another few years and we'll all be jammed onto 20m again :(
Despite battling with a flaky T/R relay that got worse and worse all weekend, I hung in there almost til the last hour. I made my final few contacts on 20m barefoot and then worked a couple of guys on 40m by hitting the foot switch and manually pressing the KEY TEST button on the amp at the same time. Fortunately by that time there was nobody left that I hadn't already worked so I called it a day.
Thanks to everyone for all the Q's especially, as always, the 1-Alphas that take pity on me CQing away on 20m after everyone else has already moved down to forty. Last contact in the log was K6LL on 40m who said "let me turn the beam your way" and made it an easy one for me. Sure wish I had a magic button to make *that* happen all the time!
73
John VE8EV
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 23
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 1
40: 89
20: 599
15: 588
10: 49
------------
Total: 1326 Sections = 83 Total Score = 220,116
Comments:
SS from NT is always about the aurora. After the relatively quiet conditions during CQWW exactly one solar rotation ago, I knew conditions for SS Phone were going to be above average. With the solar cycle on the wane I thought this might be the last chance to take a run at a section record so I went as "Multi" for this one.
I could tell the geomagnetic field stayed fairly quiet as conditions on 40m were fair from up here (which means I worked almost everyone I could hear) but the lack of sunspots showed on 10m where activity was way down from the past few years. 15m and 20m were beyond crowded. I got pushed off a run frequency more often than I could count but thankfully the spotters were out in force and starting over wasn't the chore it usually is. Another few years and we'll all be jammed onto 20m again :(
Despite battling with a flaky T/R relay that got worse and worse all weekend, I hung in there almost til the last hour. I made my final few contacts on 20m barefoot and then worked a couple of guys on 40m by hitting the foot switch and manually pressing the KEY TEST button on the amp at the same time. Fortunately by that time there was nobody left that I hadn't already worked so I called it a day.
Thanks to everyone for all the Q's especially, as always, the 1-Alphas that take pity on me CQing away on 20m after everyone else has already moved down to forty. Last contact in the log was K6LL on 40m who said "let me turn the beam your way" and made it an easy one for me. Sure wish I had a magic button to make *that* happen all the time!
73
John VE8EV
Sunday, November 8, 2015
SS CW VE8EV Single Op HP
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 1
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15:
10:
------------
Total: 54 Sections = 29 Total Score = 3,132
Club:
Comments:
I had planned on this being my first serious CW effort in SS but with the lousy conditions and the hired-gun down the road in VY1 I decided it wasn't necessary. When conditions picked up a bit Sunday afternoon I ran for an hour just to prove I could do it and then S&P'd a few guys on 20m before I pulled the plug. I'm expecting much better conditions in two weeks for SS Phone. See you then!
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 1
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15:
10:
------------
Total: 54 Sections = 29 Total Score = 3,132
Club:
Comments:
I had planned on this being my first serious CW effort in SS but with the lousy conditions and the hired-gun down the road in VY1 I decided it wasn't necessary. When conditions picked up a bit Sunday afternoon I ran for an hour just to prove I could do it and then S&P'd a few guys on 20m before I pulled the plug. I'm expecting much better conditions in two weeks for SS Phone. See you then!
Monday, October 26, 2015
CQWW SSB VE8EV SOAB(A) HP
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOAB(A) HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 32
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160:
80: 6 4 5
40: 77 19 33
20: 720 32 98
15: 965 29 80
10: 52 17 21
------------------------------
Total: 1820 101 237 Total Score = 1,525,732
Club:
Comments:
Outstanding propagation from the top of the world, especially compared to the dismal conditions of the last three weeks. I tried to go hard this weekend but I crashed and burned late Saturday night. Maybe I should try energy drinks? Still, lots of great runs and interesting propagation. I'm sure I worked everyone in Zone 16 and 17 Saturday night on 20m and then later on worked a VU on 10m at midnight. 40m through 10m all seemed to be open around the clock and if that forecast CME hit us I didn't notice it. What a nice going away present from Cycle 24!
73
John VE8EV
Sunday, March 8, 2015
ARRL DX Contest SSB
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOSB/20 HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 28
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15:
10:
-------------------
Total: 1018 94 Total Score = 287,076
Club:
Comments:
I thought this would be a good year to go single-band 20m. I still think it was the right choice but the band conditions had me pulling my hair out most of the time. The band was open to Europe for almost the whole weekend but not many are awake during my best openings in the wee hours before their sunrise. I would frequently run out of callers and have to give up and come back later. The solar flares and and aurora would often make for very slow going at times. N1MM says almost 23 hours of off-time but a lot of that was just when no one was answering. There also seemed to be very few JA's about and only one lonely ZL heard from all of the South Pacific despite spending a good chunk of time beaming out that way. In contrast to the propagation over the pole there was hardly any North-South propagation except for late Sunday afternoon when I scrambled to find as many Caribbean and South American mults as I could.
High point(s): The handful of African stations that kept popping up in the middle of their night, almost like a "midnight peak" on both nights.
Low point: I overshot a nap overnight on Saturday and instead of having Europe all to myself the band was packed from top to bottom with loud EU stations working the USA East coast shortly before 1300z. When I finally found a spot to squeeze into and got a run going some sort of solar wind anomoly wiped out the entire band in a matter of minutes! Eu was completely gone so I turned the beam to see if I could scare up some South Pacific stations. After a dozen or so unanswered CQs I pulled off my headphones and turned to find the XYL standing at the door of the shack holding a bleating CO detector and looking EXTREMELY unimpressed...
All in all, not too bad considering the flux numbers, the solar flares and the geomagnetic situation but I find I'm missing the early days of the cycle when the sun was a bit calmer.
73
John VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOSB/20 HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 28
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15:
10:
-------------------
Total: 1018 94 Total Score = 287,076
Club:
Comments:
I thought this would be a good year to go single-band 20m. I still think it was the right choice but the band conditions had me pulling my hair out most of the time. The band was open to Europe for almost the whole weekend but not many are awake during my best openings in the wee hours before their sunrise. I would frequently run out of callers and have to give up and come back later. The solar flares and and aurora would often make for very slow going at times. N1MM says almost 23 hours of off-time but a lot of that was just when no one was answering. There also seemed to be very few JA's about and only one lonely ZL heard from all of the South Pacific despite spending a good chunk of time beaming out that way. In contrast to the propagation over the pole there was hardly any North-South propagation except for late Sunday afternoon when I scrambled to find as many Caribbean and South American mults as I could.
High point(s): The handful of African stations that kept popping up in the middle of their night, almost like a "midnight peak" on both nights.
Low point: I overshot a nap overnight on Saturday and instead of having Europe all to myself the band was packed from top to bottom with loud EU stations working the USA East coast shortly before 1300z. When I finally found a spot to squeeze into and got a run going some sort of solar wind anomoly wiped out the entire band in a matter of minutes! Eu was completely gone so I turned the beam to see if I could scare up some South Pacific stations. After a dozen or so unanswered CQs I pulled off my headphones and turned to find the XYL standing at the door of the shack holding a bleating CO detector and looking EXTREMELY unimpressed...
All in all, not too bad considering the flux numbers, the solar flares and the geomagnetic situation but I find I'm missing the early days of the cycle when the sun was a bit calmer.
73
John VE8EV
Monday, November 17, 2014
SS SSB VE8EV SO Unlimited HP
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80:
40: 23
20: 160
15: 814
10: 7
------------
Total: 1004 Sections = 83 Total Score = 166,664
Comments:
My notes from SS last year said "try harder" so I resolved to keep my butt in the chair and work the radio hard. I got off to a good start on the high bands and then suffered through the usual Saturday night 10-per-hour doldrums (no, I still haven't got the 40m yagi up yet...) Six hours of sleep and then back in the chair at 1200z expecting to make some hay on 20m but thanks to the ongoing geomagnetic disturbance things didn't go as planned.
Forty-five minutes of CQing to put the first Q in the log, W1WMU, who sounded like someone with their head inside of a full fishbowl. The second Q didn't come for another 45 minutes and that pretty much set the tone for rest of the morning. At times there was nothing at all on any of the bands and when signals did peak out of the noise it was hard to get heard even with power and the big yagi. It reminded me of the "bad old days" a few years ago at the bottom of the cycle! Mercifully the electric overcast finally relented around 1900z and I pushed hard to at least make the sweep and get some Q's in the log.
Nice to see all the activity from NT, I think there were almost ten of us battling to get out from under the aurora this year.
73
John VE8EV
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80:
40: 23
20: 160
15: 814
10: 7
------------
Total: 1004 Sections = 83 Total Score = 166,664
Comments:
My notes from SS last year said "try harder" so I resolved to keep my butt in the chair and work the radio hard. I got off to a good start on the high bands and then suffered through the usual Saturday night 10-per-hour doldrums (no, I still haven't got the 40m yagi up yet...) Six hours of sleep and then back in the chair at 1200z expecting to make some hay on 20m but thanks to the ongoing geomagnetic disturbance things didn't go as planned.
Forty-five minutes of CQing to put the first Q in the log, W1WMU, who sounded like someone with their head inside of a full fishbowl. The second Q didn't come for another 45 minutes and that pretty much set the tone for rest of the morning. At times there was nothing at all on any of the bands and when signals did peak out of the noise it was hard to get heard even with power and the big yagi. It reminded me of the "bad old days" a few years ago at the bottom of the cycle! Mercifully the electric overcast finally relented around 1900z and I pushed hard to at least make the sweep and get some Q's in the log.
Nice to see all the activity from NT, I think there were almost ten of us battling to get out from under the aurora this year.
73
John VE8EV
Sunday, November 2, 2014
SS CW VE8EV Single Op HP
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 3
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80:
40: 26
20: 39
15: 40
10: 5
------------
Total: 110 Sections = 45 Total Score = 9,900
Comments:
Just a quick spin through the bands to hand out the mult and see if I can actually copy more than just my call and 5NN on cw. Apparently I can but calling CQ on SS Sunday had predictable results so I stuck with S&P. Bands were in pretty good shape, hope they hold up for SS Phone.
73
John VE8EV
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 3
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80:
40: 26
20: 39
15: 40
10: 5
------------
Total: 110 Sections = 45 Total Score = 9,900
Comments:
Just a quick spin through the bands to hand out the mult and see if I can actually copy more than just my call and 5NN on cw. Apparently I can but calling CQ on SS Sunday had predictable results so I stuck with S&P. Bands were in pretty good shape, hope they hold up for SS Phone.
73
John VE8EV
Sunday, October 5, 2014
CaQP VE8EV SOFixed HP
California QSO Party
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOFixed HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 5
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs
--------------------
160:
80: 11 4
40: 6 2
20: 27 23
15: 10 2
10:
6:
2:
--------------------
Total: 54 31 Mults = 31 Total Score = 6,944
Club:
Comments:
Mostly just a few hours playing with N1MM+, passing out the mult, and getting a few things set up for contest season.
73
John VE8EV
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOFixed HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 5
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs
--------------------
160:
80: 11 4
40: 6 2
20: 27 23
15: 10 2
10:
6:
2:
--------------------
Total: 54 31 Mults = 31 Total Score = 6,944
Club:
Comments:
Mostly just a few hours playing with N1MM+, passing out the mult, and getting a few things set up for contest season.
73
John VE8EV
Thursday, July 3, 2014
RAC Day VE8RAC(VE8EV) SOSB/20 HP
Call: VE8RAC
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOSB/20 HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 15
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs CW Mults Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
160:
80:
40:
20: 362 580 11 12
15:
10:
6:
2:
----------------------------------------
Total: 362 580 11 12 Total Score = 123,924
Comments:
+12 V**RAC
I was amazed at the level of activity considering it was a weekday. The band hung in there despite the solar flare and whenever things slowed down on one mode I'd just switch to the other. Someday I'd like to get a mult sweep in a RAC contest but VY1 and VY0 are rarely heard even up here...
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOSB/20 HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 15
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs CW Mults Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
160:
80:
40:
20: 362 580 11 12
15:
10:
6:
2:
----------------------------------------
Total: 362 580 11 12 Total Score = 123,924
Comments:
+12 V**RAC
I was amazed at the level of activity considering it was a weekday. The band hung in there despite the solar flare and whenever things slowed down on one mode I'd just switch to the other. Someday I'd like to get a mult sweep in a RAC contest but VY1 and VY0 are rarely heard even up here...
Monday, March 3, 2014
ARRL DX SSB VE8EV SO Unlimited HP
ARRL DX Contest, SSB
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 40
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 0 0
80: 0 0
40: 6 4
20: 254 58
15: 374 81
10: 298 79
-------------------
Total: 932 222 Total Score = 620,712
Club:
Comments:The big X-class solar flare earlier in the week sure knocked the heck out of the bands up here. On Thursday evening 160-10m was completely dead but 24 hours later at the beginning of the contest things had at least improved enough to let the higher bands start to open up. Even then the absorption was strong enough all weekend that I was never able to get a decent run going anywhere, save for a couple of hours on 10m and 15m over the pole in the middle of the night on Friday. The low bands were a total washout, nothing heard at all on 80m and 160m, and only a tiny handful of "nearby" mults on 40m after midnight Saturday.
Highlights:
- Finally being able to prove my theory that the best time for 10m to Europe from here is in the middle of the night. I sensed a considerable amount of skepticism from the other side but WFWL happily prevailed.
- On three separate occasions someone in a pileup with me got through to the DX station and after making their contact told them to "listen up, there's a VE8 calling you". I was humbled each time but of course wasn't paying enough attention to catch their calls. Thanks for the multipliers!
- Collecting enough entities on 10m to push my DXCC total on that band to well over a hundred. Now I can stop worrying about missing out on 10m at the top of the solar cycle and start working on how I'm going to live long enough to work a 100 on 80m for 5BDXCC...
Other than stellar/dismal band conditions (depending on your perspective) the only lowlight was trying to tell guys wanting to pass me down to 20m in the middle of the afternoon that "Sorry, I've got no propagation on that band." Strange days, indeed!
Depending on my travel schedule this might be the last contest operation from here until CQWW in October. If so, see you then!
73
John VE8EV
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest SSB
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EVStation: VE8EV
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Inuvik, NTOperating Time (hrs): 23
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------160:
80:
40: 10
20: 752
15: 24
10: 699
------------
Total: 1485 Sections = 83 Total Score = 246,510
Comments:
I made 700 Q's Saturday afternoon but once the high bands
went out my rate came to a screeching halt (as usual). I shouted at a few guys on 40m before I gave
up and called it a night. I got back to it at 1200z Sunday morning and had a
steady trickle of callers on 20m when I was the only one there but once the
hordes started arriving I wasn't loud enough to hold a frequency anywhere. When 10m finally opened I got a run going and milked it
for all I could. I skipped 15m both days
and just went straight from 10m down to 20m and carved out a spot to hang onto
until the end. I ran out of callers on
20m about 45 minutes before the end of the contest and just called it
quits. Maybe next year I'll get that 40m
yagi put up...
I only used the spotting network to find PAC and PR but
it bought me the sweep as they were the only two that didn't call me. My last section was SF of all places and the
only one heard was KJ6WDL who called in late Sunday afternoon. So nice to be able to say "Thanks for the
sweep!" after hearing it so often from others.
Looks like the second year in a row for me (I wasn't on
in 2012) that I got beat out for the top spot in Canada by an alien VY2! VY2ZM (K1ZM) in SO-HP in 2011 and VY2TT (K6LA) this year in SO-U-HP. Congrats to
both on great scores!
73
John VE8EVMonday, October 28, 2013
CQ WW SSB VE8EV SOSB(A)/10 HP
CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOSB(A)/10 HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 14
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160:
80: 2 2 2
40: 3 3 3
20: 1 1 1
15: 2 2 2
10: 665 27 59
------------------------------
Total: 665 27 59 Total Score = 117,390
Club:
Comments:
I decided two weeks ago that I was going to quit procrastinating and get my new home station built and on the air in time for CQWW this year. After eleven frantic days of wiring, tower erecting, antenna work, furniture and amplifier moving, and equipment installation I was finally ready to go at 0500z Saturday night. I decided I was just going to get everything working, have fun, and DX my way through what was left of the contest. When I got on the air 10 meters was open over the pole and I decided right then and there to go single-band 10. I've never heard conditions on ten meters like that from this part of the world and in the back of my mind I know there is a possibility I never will again. The triple-play of low K-index, high SSN, and a big contest sure doesn't come around very often! After grabbing a handful of mults and a few hours sleep Saturday night the band was open again to Europe first thing Sunday morning so I spent the first few hours collecting more multipliers. Once the propagation started shifting to the south I turned the big yagi towards the states and started running with a 200/hour! By mid-afternoon Sunday 10 meters was jam packed right from the bottom all the way up past 29 MHz. I alternated between running and collecting multipliers and then spent the last couple of hours beaming out to the Pacific picking up 3-pointers.
High point (other than 10m- wow!): After years of poor or non-existant internet access at the old hilltop contest site it was a nice treat to be able to go "assisted" and pick up a few extra multipliers from spots.
Low point: RF coming back into the shack and messing things up when I used the amplifier with the new 40m sloper. Not a big deal for this contest but I better get it sorted out before Sweepstakes!
Day-by-day countdown of the station building exercise is on the blog http://ve8ev.blogspot.com
73
John VE8EV
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
Sunday, July 29, 2012
IOTA VE8EV/P SO24CW LP
Call:
VE8EV/P
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV/P
Class: SO24CW LP
QTH: Sachs Harbour, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 12
Summary:
Band CW Qs CW Mults Ph Qs Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
80:
40:
20: 167 6
15: 31 1
10:
----------------------------------------
Total: 198 7 Total Score = 7,490
Club:
Comments:
Island Expedition, NA-129 Banks Island
As predicted, the active geomagnetic conditions and solar flares made for dismal conditions from the polar region. Too much D-layer absorbtion for the low bands and too much aurora for the high bands. I started at 1600z and only made 6 qso's in the first four hours! 20m opened up for Eu sunrise, not strong but steady for a couple of hours and then closed up tight. Only worked a single JA station!
73
John VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV/P
Class: SO24CW LP
QTH: Sachs Harbour, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 12
Summary:
Band CW Qs CW Mults Ph Qs Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
80:
40:
20: 167 6
15: 31 1
10:
----------------------------------------
Total: 198 7 Total Score = 7,490
Club:
Comments:
Island Expedition, NA-129 Banks Island
As predicted, the active geomagnetic conditions and solar flares made for dismal conditions from the polar region. Too much D-layer absorbtion for the low bands and too much aurora for the high bands. I started at 1600z and only made 6 qso's in the first four hours! 20m opened up for Eu sunrise, not strong but steady for a couple of hours and then closed up tight. Only worked a single JA station!
73
John VE8EV
Monday, March 5, 2012
ARRL DX Contest SSB
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 35
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80: 2 2
40: 37 20
20: 1039 82
15: 126 37
10: 10 7
-------------------
Total: 1214 148 Total Score = 539,016
Club:
Comments:
Thanks to my location under the auroral oval in the high Arctic and the solar flares on Friday and Sunday this contest turned into an epic battle between myself, the ionosphere, and the geomagnetic field. All things considered I guess I didn't do too badly but if I had known in advance what I was in for I probably would have just stayed at home! The long winded blow-by-blow is at http://ve8ev.blogspot.com/2012/03/arrl-dx-best-of-times-worst-of-times.html
73
John VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 35
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80: 2 2
40: 37 20
20: 1039 82
15: 126 37
10: 10 7
-------------------
Total: 1214 148 Total Score = 539,016
Club:
Comments:
Thanks to my location under the auroral oval in the high Arctic and the solar flares on Friday and Sunday this contest turned into an epic battle between myself, the ionosphere, and the geomagnetic field. All things considered I guess I didn't do too badly but if I had known in advance what I was in for I probably would have just stayed at home! The long winded blow-by-blow is at http://ve8ev.blogspot.com/2012/03/arrl-dx-best-of-times-worst-of-times.html
73
John VE8EV
Sunday, December 18, 2011
RAC Winter VE8RAC(VE8EV) SO Mixed HP
Call: VE8RAC
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SO Mixed HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 20
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs CW Mults Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
160: 23 5 4 3
80: 63 31 4 6
40: 96 91 9 10
20: 128 215 9 11
15: 97 303 9 10
10: 26 156 5 7
6: 1 1 1 1
2: 1 1 1 1
----------------------------------------
Total: 435 803 42 49 Total Score = 581,854
Comments:
+11 RAC
What a deal, two contests with no aurora in the same year! I had lots of fun and was able to wave the RAC flag pretty evenly across all the bands.
Sure glad I'm not the one who has to answer all those VE8RAC QSL requests!
73 and Happy Holidays,
John VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SO Mixed HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 20
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs CW Mults Ph Mults
----------------------------------------
160: 23 5 4 3
80: 63 31 4 6
40: 96 91 9 10
20: 128 215 9 11
15: 97 303 9 10
10: 26 156 5 7
6: 1 1 1 1
2: 1 1 1 1
----------------------------------------
Total: 435 803 42 49 Total Score = 581,854
Comments:
+11 RAC
What a deal, two contests with no aurora in the same year! I had lots of fun and was able to wave the RAC flag pretty evenly across all the bands.
Sure glad I'm not the one who has to answer all those VE8RAC QSL requests!
73 and Happy Holidays,
John VE8EV
Sunday, December 11, 2011
ARRL 10-meter Contest
Call:
VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SO CW LP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 14
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
CW: 322 63
SSB:
-------------------
Total: 322 63 Total Score = 81,144
Comments:
Just 100 watts and a vertical for this one so I decided to go CW only. The marginal antenna, low power, aurora, low SSN and lack of time all conspired to keep the numbers low. Given my limited CW prowess it was probably just as well. When I had time to get on the radio I'd find a quiet corner at the higher end of the band and run callers with only an occasional foray to S&P the loud guys. I got up early Saturday and CQ'd away for four hours without a single caller, hoping for that mythical morning opening to Europe. It didn't appear and I suspect that from this part of the world in December it never will. Still, the band was open to everywhere in North America for at least five hours both days so I certainly can't complain.
My ability to copy CW is still a bit ropey and I was kind of nervous at the very beginning. Wouldn't you know the very first answer I get to my cq was 7K4QOK! Once I got through that the rest was fairly smooth sailing. The rate meter actually hit 100 for a few short bursts so I guess I'm starting to get the hang of it. Worked a pretty good cross section of W/VE, a handful of Asians, VK/ZL, and a few South Americans (although not as many as I remember from the old days on 10m).
Lots of giggles in this one for some reason. The best was working the W8 with the drifting TX. He was zero beat at the start of each call but his frequency would increase with every key stroke until he was out of my passband. After three tries I finally opened up the filter to 3K and got him in the log. For some reason it sounded hysterically funny and I chuckled about it all day long. I also found it very amusing that it took me three tries to figure out why the KH7 station was laughing at me instead of sending his exchange. Is this what normally happens to people after listening to beeping for hours on end?
Happy Holidays and hope to hear everyone in the RAC Winter Contest next weekend!
73
John VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: SO CW LP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 14
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
CW: 322 63
SSB:
-------------------
Total: 322 63 Total Score = 81,144
Comments:
Just 100 watts and a vertical for this one so I decided to go CW only. The marginal antenna, low power, aurora, low SSN and lack of time all conspired to keep the numbers low. Given my limited CW prowess it was probably just as well. When I had time to get on the radio I'd find a quiet corner at the higher end of the band and run callers with only an occasional foray to S&P the loud guys. I got up early Saturday and CQ'd away for four hours without a single caller, hoping for that mythical morning opening to Europe. It didn't appear and I suspect that from this part of the world in December it never will. Still, the band was open to everywhere in North America for at least five hours both days so I certainly can't complain.
My ability to copy CW is still a bit ropey and I was kind of nervous at the very beginning. Wouldn't you know the very first answer I get to my cq was 7K4QOK! Once I got through that the rest was fairly smooth sailing. The rate meter actually hit 100 for a few short bursts so I guess I'm starting to get the hang of it. Worked a pretty good cross section of W/VE, a handful of Asians, VK/ZL, and a few South Americans (although not as many as I remember from the old days on 10m).
Lots of giggles in this one for some reason. The best was working the W8 with the drifting TX. He was zero beat at the start of each call but his frequency would increase with every key stroke until he was out of my passband. After three tries I finally opened up the filter to 3K and got him in the log. For some reason it sounded hysterically funny and I chuckled about it all day long. I also found it very amusing that it took me three tries to figure out why the KH7 station was laughing at me instead of sending his exchange. Is this what normally happens to people after listening to beeping for hours on end?
Happy Holidays and hope to hear everyone in the RAC Winter Contest next weekend!
73
John VE8EV
Monday, November 21, 2011
SS SSB VE8EV Single Op HP
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 1
40: 95
20: 431
15: 1009
10: 198
------------
Total: 1734 Sections = 80 Total Score = 277,440
Comments:
I had a whole assortment of issues all weekend but, oh boy, did the conditions ever make up for the things that went wrong!
I stayed in the chair for the whole 24 hours and for the first time ever I didn't run out of propagation. 15m was the money band all weekend. 40m was slow Saturday night but at least the rate meter never hit zero. When 15m got a bit too crowded for my liking on Sunday I went up to 10m and had a great run there for a couple of hours. I avoided 20m like the plague. It was wide open to everywhere at once and everyone was stacked two or three deep from one end of the band to the other although I did manage a nice run there during the last hour Sunday when it finally started to thin out a bit.
I went hunting for PR (last thing before bed Saturday night on 40m) and VI (first thing in the morning on 20m) and lucky I did as they were the only ones heard. All the rest came to me and the sweep was in the bag early Sunday. Also bested the old NT section record by almost 50K.
The computer crashed about a half a dozen times Sunday afternoon before I figured out the problem, apologies to those that I stranded in the middle of a contact. Despite the glitches, PowerSDR and the Flex worked like gangbusters dealing with the QRM and finding gaps to slide into.
Thanks to all for the Q's, especially all the '1 Alpha's that called in and muddled their way through the exchange for me to make the contact.
73 John VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 1
40: 95
20: 431
15: 1009
10: 198
------------
Total: 1734 Sections = 80 Total Score = 277,440
Comments:
I had a whole assortment of issues all weekend but, oh boy, did the conditions ever make up for the things that went wrong!
I stayed in the chair for the whole 24 hours and for the first time ever I didn't run out of propagation. 15m was the money band all weekend. 40m was slow Saturday night but at least the rate meter never hit zero. When 15m got a bit too crowded for my liking on Sunday I went up to 10m and had a great run there for a couple of hours. I avoided 20m like the plague. It was wide open to everywhere at once and everyone was stacked two or three deep from one end of the band to the other although I did manage a nice run there during the last hour Sunday when it finally started to thin out a bit.
I went hunting for PR (last thing before bed Saturday night on 40m) and VI (first thing in the morning on 20m) and lucky I did as they were the only ones heard. All the rest came to me and the sweep was in the bag early Sunday. Also bested the old NT section record by almost 50K.
The computer crashed about a half a dozen times Sunday afternoon before I figured out the problem, apologies to those that I stranded in the middle of a contact. Despite the glitches, PowerSDR and the Flex worked like gangbusters dealing with the QRM and finding gaps to slide into.
Thanks to all for the Q's, especially all the '1 Alpha's that called in and muddled their way through the exchange for me to make the contact.
73 John VE8EV
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