2006 ARRL 10 Meter Contest
12/11/2006 |
KA5DWI
Since I can remember, this contest has been one of my absolute favorite HF contests. I remember as a SWL lurking to pick up a country or two in the bottom of cycle 20/21. Once I became a Ham I was unfortunately interrupted by some event and I was unable to participate. It seems like someone is having a Xmas party, a spine fusion, a wedding, a divorce, or I had to make that last business trip or clean up the computer systems before the year was up on that contest weekend. I went to "J6" one year and tried to get some interest in operating it, but all I got was information that customs there was confiscating Ham equipment as contraband. So I just enjoyed the vacation instead. Family, job, the season, and life were the priority, not my favorite contest.
My first 10 Meter Contest was as a CW only Novice in 1979 and one main accomplishment was working my 50th state (Utah). The only other one I spent any real time in was in 1986 at the bottom of Cycle 21/22. Still, when I had any spare time in any of those other years, I tried to pass out a point or two and see what propagation was like.
For 2006, I decided that I needed some "me time" and despite family matters and a wedding to go to, I would try to spend some time operating in this one. The great thing about this contest is that during solar minimums, unless you are located in tropical locales, you really have to work at it. A kilowatt and 4-stacked 5's do help, but you have to have a sense of when to be there and where to point. During solar peaks it is too easy and too darn crowded. One Ham last year called this contest "a waste of time" because it had no F2. Oh contraire, that is what this contest is about. It is about working and earning those two points and a multiplier. It is a lot more fun with less help from a high solar flux.
Ionospheric and geomagnetic conditions were a little short of "yuk", but appeared to stir up some interesting winter sporadic Es. As the contest began here in Texas, we were treated to a nice single and double hop E opening from the North and to the West. Lots of on-again off-again signals with deep QSB to South Dakota, British Columbia, and down to XE2. Colorado was the center of activity and at one time the hop was short to New Mexico. It never was crowded on CW or SSB. I usually found CW activity from 28,001 to 28,050 and SSB from 28,410 to 28,510. It was not a big turnout. I never call CQ and on a number of occasions found an urge to do so, but refrained from doing it. I called it quits at 23:30 local time because all I was hearing were the same calls. 10 Meters was still open!!! The S-Meter was hardly moving, but it was active.
I slept a little late Saturday morning and after checking in to our region's SWOT Net, I jumped in to find 10 Meters active with some F2 and more like TE. Here is where this contest is not much fun. When there is such a lack of F2 propagation, any DX shows up there is a good chance that everyone in the U.S. and Canada is probably hearing them too at the same time. One "V31" was constantly asking for everyone to behave. Fat chance!! Luckily living in the South has a little advantage towards Central America. I can usually get HP, TI, and TG on one to two calls. If I don't get them by the fifth one I usually move on and get them later. It got quiet midday and by mid-afternoon we were treated to some F2 towards the Northwest and Northern California. Before heading off to a wedding (always something), I worked a ZL.
When I returned later that evening, I was treated to another "E" opening towards IN to PA, including VE3. This opening died out earlier than the one the night before and nowhere as good. I still picked up a few multipliers. The SSB portion was very quiet and most of my QSO's were on CW.
Sunday morning was a return of similar F2 conditions, but I seemed to work a few more across the equator this time. Early in the afternoon we had a return of sporadic Es, this time towards MN and WI. I finished up with some more F2 to California and a ZL thrown in. I had to leave 2 hours early for a dinner engagement before the Dallas Cowboy fiasco of a football game.
In 21 hours of piddling, I completed 130 QSO's to 24 states/provinces and 15 countries for 57 multipliers. I had a good time, but my score did not top my score in the first 10 Meter Contest I participated in as a Novice (CW only back then) in 1979.
That is a disappointment in that I failed to hear one single "/N" and "/T", and only heard one station in Novice/Tech CW portion of the band. I really have a problem trying to understand why we are failing to generate CW operators with all the technology we have to help them along. I can accept change, but I don't understand why.
See you all next year. F2 conditions should still be lousy again...... 73's Art Jackson -- KA5DWI
My first 10 Meter Contest was as a CW only Novice in 1979 and one main accomplishment was working my 50th state (Utah). The only other one I spent any real time in was in 1986 at the bottom of Cycle 21/22. Still, when I had any spare time in any of those other years, I tried to pass out a point or two and see what propagation was like.
For 2006, I decided that I needed some "me time" and despite family matters and a wedding to go to, I would try to spend some time operating in this one. The great thing about this contest is that during solar minimums, unless you are located in tropical locales, you really have to work at it. A kilowatt and 4-stacked 5's do help, but you have to have a sense of when to be there and where to point. During solar peaks it is too easy and too darn crowded. One Ham last year called this contest "a waste of time" because it had no F2. Oh contraire, that is what this contest is about. It is about working and earning those two points and a multiplier. It is a lot more fun with less help from a high solar flux.
Ionospheric and geomagnetic conditions were a little short of "yuk", but appeared to stir up some interesting winter sporadic Es. As the contest began here in Texas, we were treated to a nice single and double hop E opening from the North and to the West. Lots of on-again off-again signals with deep QSB to South Dakota, British Columbia, and down to XE2. Colorado was the center of activity and at one time the hop was short to New Mexico. It never was crowded on CW or SSB. I usually found CW activity from 28,001 to 28,050 and SSB from 28,410 to 28,510. It was not a big turnout. I never call CQ and on a number of occasions found an urge to do so, but refrained from doing it. I called it quits at 23:30 local time because all I was hearing were the same calls. 10 Meters was still open!!! The S-Meter was hardly moving, but it was active.
I slept a little late Saturday morning and after checking in to our region's SWOT Net, I jumped in to find 10 Meters active with some F2 and more like TE. Here is where this contest is not much fun. When there is such a lack of F2 propagation, any DX shows up there is a good chance that everyone in the U.S. and Canada is probably hearing them too at the same time. One "V31" was constantly asking for everyone to behave. Fat chance!! Luckily living in the South has a little advantage towards Central America. I can usually get HP, TI, and TG on one to two calls. If I don't get them by the fifth one I usually move on and get them later. It got quiet midday and by mid-afternoon we were treated to some F2 towards the Northwest and Northern California. Before heading off to a wedding (always something), I worked a ZL.
When I returned later that evening, I was treated to another "E" opening towards IN to PA, including VE3. This opening died out earlier than the one the night before and nowhere as good. I still picked up a few multipliers. The SSB portion was very quiet and most of my QSO's were on CW.
Sunday morning was a return of similar F2 conditions, but I seemed to work a few more across the equator this time. Early in the afternoon we had a return of sporadic Es, this time towards MN and WI. I finished up with some more F2 to California and a ZL thrown in. I had to leave 2 hours early for a dinner engagement before the Dallas Cowboy fiasco of a football game.
In 21 hours of piddling, I completed 130 QSO's to 24 states/provinces and 15 countries for 57 multipliers. I had a good time, but my score did not top my score in the first 10 Meter Contest I participated in as a Novice (CW only back then) in 1979.
That is a disappointment in that I failed to hear one single "/N" and "/T", and only heard one station in Novice/Tech CW portion of the band. I really have a problem trying to understand why we are failing to generate CW operators with all the technology we have to help them along. I can accept change, but I don't understand why.
See you all next year. F2 conditions should still be lousy again...... 73's Art Jackson -- KA5DWI
Photo Gallery
-
Digging out that ...
Back
