2012 ARRL DX CW CONTEST

(L to R) Ken, KE3X, Bill, KC4D, Sejo, N3UA, and Larry, K7SV

Call: NR4M
Operator(s): NR4M, K7SV, K4GM, K4GMH, K3ZM, W0UCE, N3ND, N2YO, KE3X, WA4JUK, N3UA, KC4D
Station: NR4M

Class: M/M HP
QTH: VA
Operating Time (hrs): 48

Summary:
Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
 160:  125    53
  80:  828    91
  40: 1701   120
  20: 2129   134
  15: 1682   125
  10:  614   105
-------------------
Total: 7079   628  Total Score = 13,272,780

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

To quote Charles Dickens, "the best of times the worst of times".

As always we enjoyed great camaraderie with great friends at the Goat Farm
during the weekend, but some had more fun than others while playing radio!
In addition to the regular crew, Jack W0UCE and Dan N3ND graced us with
their presence during the weekend. It's always great to have new folks show
up, especially characters such as these coming from NC and SC!

To begin, Peter K3ZM probably enjoyed (?) the worst of times, being the 160M
op. Peter hung in there and milked the band for what he could hear.

Jack W0UCE got to play with the toys on 80. Again the condx were not the
best on that  band, or at least not while Jack was on. He and Frank K4EC put
a great number of Qs and mults in the log. 80M adds to the worst/best of
times story. Larry K7SV fell out of the hammock at 4AM and relieved the 80M
ops. Not a lot going on until after sunrise when we had the best opening to
JA on 80 we've ever heard. Worked a slew of stations with three fifty
watters and two five watt QRPers!

Chip N2YO was the chief op on 40 and ran up his usual terrific numbers of
Qs/mults. George K4GM and Frank K4EC also spent time on the band. Condx
seemed fairly good. Chip was excited to work the far east long path Sunday
evening.

N3UA Sejo, Dan N3ND, Joe WA4JUK and Mike K4GMH did most of the 20M
operating. Mike was the night time man as usual and did right well in
vacuuming up what was available. 20 produced well until we started
experiencing snow static a couple hours before the end of the contest.

On 15, Bill KC4D was king on Saturday with Ken KE3X taking his place on
Saturday. Steve NR4M spent some time on the band as well. As was the case in
the WPX RTTY contest, the JAs were loud Saturday night with a handful of
QRPers making it into the log.

Ten meters found Larry K7SV on the disturbed ten meter band. Frank K4EC
spent some time on the band as well. The direct path opening to Europe on
Saturday was very spotty. For a little while we'd work nothing but OKs, then
it would shift to SPs. The JA opening Saturday evening was not good but did
produce a few stations. A JA1 high in the band was heard and worked well
before any other JAs showed up. Then gradually a few more were put in the
log. As it became apparent that the path to JA was gone, the beam was swung
further south toward VK/ZL and we discovered that the JAs could be heard on
that path as well. Sunday morning it didn't look like Eur was going to
produce anything. On a hunch we looked for them skewed path from the SE and
sure enough while spotty that produced maybe a hundred Qs. While Bill KC4D
was sitting in for an operator break, a VR2 called in on the long path. We
were also spotted by NH2T (whom we worked the previous evening short path)
on the long path. Later a few Europeans made it through direct path but were
very weak.

We went into the contest with a problem with the stack match on 15. We could
select all antennas or the top one. An anomaly appeared both on transmit and
receive from time to time during the weekend. Other than and the 15M
computer acting up from time to time everything held up well.

The snow that was discussed all weekend finally started a couple hours
before the end of the contest. The impact was worst on 20M with S9 noise
static on the 6el yagi and the top stack of 5 els. We didn't get much more
than a couple inches of the white stuff and any hitting the roads
immediately melted, so it was a non-occurrence other than making it real
pretty outside.

As usual we extend many thanks to our gracious hosts Steve and Caroline for
a wonderful weekend.

73 de Lar K7SV

Station for 2012 ARRL DX CW contest

10m - K3, Acom 2000A
    EU stack 5 el @ 30/60/90', SA stack 6 el 35/70', 5 el @ 120'

15m - K3, QRO HF-2500,
    5 el stack @ 40/80/120' each independantly rotatable

20m - K3, Henry 3K Classic MkII (3cx1200), Omni 6
    5/5/5/5 @40/80/120/160, btm pair fixed on EU, top pair fully rotatable
    6 el @ 190, receive 4 square

40m - K3, HB 8877, Omni 6
    4/4 OWA @ 100/190', 3 el @ 72', NW/SE Bobtail, receive 4 square,
    4 - 2 wire Beverages (8 directions)

80m - K3, HB 3-1000
    Full size 4 square,  4 el delta loop array fixed on EU (catenary at ~180')
    4 - 2 Wire Beverages (8 directions)

160m - K3, Ten Tec Titan
    Phased pair of 'TEE' top loaded verticals NE/SW/broadside NW/SE
    4 - 2 wire Beverages (8 directions)
    
High power coaxial filter stubs, and low power band pass filters, on all stations

Peter, K3ZM, on 160 and happy about it!