ARRL Dx Contest

[ghutch]

Good contacts Friday nite thru Saturday! I wasn't able to play today but managed a couple hundred contacts on 10 mtrs Saturday. 50 countries. Not bad for 5 watts from the mobile. Worked over 60 Japanese operators they were all over 10 meters. I had a tough time not moving to other bands but had decided to just see what QRP on 10 would produce. No new ones but managed a south cook island, morocco, multi EU's and what few VL/ VK's I heard. The contests sure bring out the Dx. 10 meters was full of stations calling as the condition changed it started all over from another area of the world!
Used a contest log and my laptop to keep up.....great help much better than paperwork. N3FJP's Amateur Radio Software great products and cheap..the log keep score and alerts ya if the call sign is a new country. Well worth the 10.00 bucks! Designed for this contest ....creates a email log to send in to ARRL does not get any easier.
Could not turn on a radio today{Cry_river} but yesterday was fun.
Anyone else play contest this weekend??

 

[w9cll]

Already posted here http://www.worldwidedx.com/general-ham-radio-discussion/166134-arrl-dx-contest.html

I was on yesterday and today, made about 200 contacts mostly on 15 meters and some 10.

 

[ghutch]

Anyone work this contest regular power or QRP?
I want your thought on strategies...... do you get better results calling and staying put or tune and pounce? Hours of operation? For bands ? If only working a 12 hr segment, etc etc??
Pls you guys that have experience contesting chime in.....I need you secrets? Tips etc.....

 

[w9cll]

Anyone work this contest regular power or QRP?
I want your thought on strategies...... do you get better results calling and staying put or tune and pounce? Hours of operation? For bands ? If only working a 12 hr segment, etc etc??
Pls you guys that have experience contesting chime in.....I need you secrets? Tips etc.....

If by regular you mean 100 watts out of the radio then yes. I was working 10 and 15 mostly. I had 215 contacts in about 6 hours total. I was working mostly afternoon to early evening, following the gray line. I tend to follow the tune and pounce method but I will park on a freq and call CQ.

I like to listen for the weak ones, there are always ones hiding between the big guns.

 

[ghutch]

I have worked a couple contests....CQ ssb and ARRL Dx ssb. What did you score?
Both have produced new Dx countries so that was a plus but now I'm getting more serious. about just seeing what one might do? QRP single non assisted
I have listened to many Big Gun stations as they work and see the game plan of just setting and working hundreds and thousands of stations. You will get multipliers as the tune and pounce guys hear you.....this must more productive than tune and pounce ?? Or these guys would not setup and call??
Many times I could not get in on a Dx station running QRP power, I then tuned around rather than waste time, noted the freq and call and returned later as pileups slowed down. I worked 200 odd Stations but was selective on working only Dx, getting as many multipliers as possible.
My strategies in hind site was? Tune and pounce. QRP ops it hard to find a clear spot on 10 meters that ya won't be run over!
I tuned and pounced all 5-5 to 5-9 stations from one end of 10 up and back down? After a couple all band screenings then I slowly tuned looking in between the big guns...this yielded a few more points as the band closed I worked as many JA's as possible just for more points.
The ARRL contest 10 meter band only, QRP power 57 countries and 205 contacts 34,542 points.
The CQ SSB contest 24 hrs, 40-20-15 & 10 Mtrs bands, 100 watts, 71 countries 239 contacts, 179 multipliers 121,183 points. Started off QRP and failed to stay low power. Most contacts were actual 5 watts but I worked a china operator at 100 and screwed up the plan! Won't do that again. the score would be much better without the china station and sticking with QRP power level!!!!

My next contest plan to setup and call....see if that will produce more results
Work only one band. Thinking about 160?.
QRP power
non assisted single operator
Setup a propagation plan using VOACAP or ??? And stick to tune hours shown on the plan.
Y'alls thoughts??