2003 ARRL International DX Contest (Phone)
03/09/2003 |
YV5LIX
The ARRL has always been one of my favorite contest, and one with lots of activity on both the W/VE and DX sides, which made this a very competitive and interesting TEST.
This year contest was simply great on 20 meters with big signals and lots of US/VE stations active, day time propagation was so good that at the pick hours I was able to work several QRP and mobile stations in the middle of the pileups, unfortunately poor propagation from around 06:00 UTC to 13:00 UTC Saturday and 05:00 to 12:00 Sunday didn't allow for a higher score, but in the afternoon at around 21 UTC the band was so wide open that the pileups were huge, and remained that way until around 04:00 UTC on both days, so with a score of 336+ K I'm extremely pleased with the results.
Congratulations to the US/VE operators for keeping an orderly operation and as such allowing for an easy handling of the pileups during the heavy traffic hours, specially on Sunday afternoon, when 509 QSOs were made between 02:01 UTC and 23:59 UTC, I wish all contest were as orderly as this one was.
This year I had YV5OHW as a guest at my QTH, so it was very interesting to have both signals on the air at the same time, YV5OHW on 40 and YV5LIX on 20, the Dunestar RF Bandpass Filters performance was superb with no interference what so ever to any of the two stations despite the fact that both antennas, a 4 elements home brew long boom Yagi for 20 and a commercial 2 elements Yagi by YV5APF Antennas for 40, are in the same tower and both station were running 1 kW, next year I hope to be on 20 again and to have two guests, one on 40 and one on 80.
On Sunday I was able to observe YV5OHW while he was on 40 and after I lost propagation on 20 at around 06:00 UTC, and the band was wide open to the US/VE with the average signal on the 20 dB rage and some of the station, specially those from the East Coast, peaking 50 dB and more, stronger that the locals, also at that time the Europeans were very strong over here, so I figure that they also enjoyed a great opening to North America; and after the contest Gregorio, YV5OHW, commented me that he was able to work US stations as late as 13:00 UTC, broad day light at both ends of the path. I hope next year we all can have this kind of activity and propagation again.
Good luck to all and thanks to all those who were in the contest, hope you all did well and see you again next year.
73/DX Jose M. Valdes R. (Joe) YV5LIX
http://www.yv5lix.org.ve
-- YV5LIX
This year contest was simply great on 20 meters with big signals and lots of US/VE stations active, day time propagation was so good that at the pick hours I was able to work several QRP and mobile stations in the middle of the pileups, unfortunately poor propagation from around 06:00 UTC to 13:00 UTC Saturday and 05:00 to 12:00 Sunday didn't allow for a higher score, but in the afternoon at around 21 UTC the band was so wide open that the pileups were huge, and remained that way until around 04:00 UTC on both days, so with a score of 336+ K I'm extremely pleased with the results.
Congratulations to the US/VE operators for keeping an orderly operation and as such allowing for an easy handling of the pileups during the heavy traffic hours, specially on Sunday afternoon, when 509 QSOs were made between 02:01 UTC and 23:59 UTC, I wish all contest were as orderly as this one was.
This year I had YV5OHW as a guest at my QTH, so it was very interesting to have both signals on the air at the same time, YV5OHW on 40 and YV5LIX on 20, the Dunestar RF Bandpass Filters performance was superb with no interference what so ever to any of the two stations despite the fact that both antennas, a 4 elements home brew long boom Yagi for 20 and a commercial 2 elements Yagi by YV5APF Antennas for 40, are in the same tower and both station were running 1 kW, next year I hope to be on 20 again and to have two guests, one on 40 and one on 80.
On Sunday I was able to observe YV5OHW while he was on 40 and after I lost propagation on 20 at around 06:00 UTC, and the band was wide open to the US/VE with the average signal on the 20 dB rage and some of the station, specially those from the East Coast, peaking 50 dB and more, stronger that the locals, also at that time the Europeans were very strong over here, so I figure that they also enjoyed a great opening to North America; and after the contest Gregorio, YV5OHW, commented me that he was able to work US stations as late as 13:00 UTC, broad day light at both ends of the path. I hope next year we all can have this kind of activity and propagation again.
Good luck to all and thanks to all those who were in the contest, hope you all did well and see you again next year.
73/DX Jose M. Valdes R. (Joe) YV5LIX
http://www.yv5lix.org.ve
-- YV5LIX
Photo Gallery
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During the contest
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With YV5OHW to th...
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The antennas used...
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