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MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT HAD A GREAT TIME AND REALLY IMPROVED THEIR SCORES.
PAYING ATTENTION TO INDICATORS SUCH AS THE WWV SOLAR REPORT WHICH DID SEND
WARNINGS OF A SOLAR STORM BEFORE THE CONTEST, OR THE VARIOUS TROPO
PREDICTION WEB SITES HEPBURN, FOR EXAMPLE ARE HELPFUL.  BUT AT THE END OF
THE DAY THOSE THAT ARE ON TESTING THE BANDS ARE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN FINDING
THE OPENINGS.  THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE BECAUSE SOME LAST ONLY MINUTES THE
TRANSCONTINENTAL AURORAL ES THIS TIME BEING A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE.  THIS YEAR
THERE WERE JUST OVER 100,000 QSOS LOGGED BY PARTICIPANTS, AN INCREASE OF
ABOUT 14 FROM 2004.  WITH THE E SKIP AND AURORA OPENINGS FAVORING 6 METER
DX OPPORTUNITIES, MOST OF THE INCREASE IN QSO COUNT WAS ON THAT BAND.  144
THROUGH 432 MHZ TOTALS WERE ABOUT THE SAME, BUT REVERSING A TREND OF THE
LAST SEVERAL YEARS, MICROWAVE CONTACT TOTALS WERE DOWN.  COMPETITION IN THE
SOLP CLASS WAS UP CONSIDERABLY WITH 348 ENTRIES THIS TIME, WHILE SOHP
ENTRANTS WERE ALSO UP WITH 136.  ROVER ENTRIES WERE DOWN THIS TIME, NOT
SURPRISING GIVEN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA AND THE IMPACT OF 3 PER
GALLON GASOLINE.  FEWER ROVERS LIKELY IMPACTED THE MICROWAVE QSO TOTALS AS
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N5XFW AA6NP KG7DE N7PAT W7YLV KA8LAY N8VV K9LCQ W0BUX K0RM W5JMW WF5X K6NTZ
K7DER N7PCE K7YMA W8LCZ N8WAV K9LGU WB0B NA0R KA5JNL W5XX KE6NZB KB7DFL
N7PFY WA7YNU K8LHM K8WDJ KB9LMK KN0BY NQ0R WT5J KC5YCH KQ6OB WB7DIE K7PGC
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