Call: K1DG
Operator(s): K1DG 
Station: K1DG

Added: 01/Dec/2008
Contest: CQ WORLDWIDE DX CONTEST, CW
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Maine
Operating time: 44

Summary: 
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:  305    17       71
   80:  810    23       95
   40:  543    24       95
   20: 1887    29      116
   15:  168    21       77
   10:    6     2        2
------------------------------
Total: 3719   116      456  
Total Score = 6,039,176
Club: 

Soapbox: 

My 40M beam developed an
intermittent problem recently. Taking
it down is a big job with all the
other antennas on the same tower (the
40 is at the very top),
and I just did
not have a combination of time and
weather to allow repairing it. It
worked well enough in the CQWW SSB and
both modes of SS, so I figured I could
live with the problem one more
weekend, and fix it in the spring.


However, a severe wind storm earlier
in the week apparently made things
worse...the SWR bounced from 1:1 to
3:1 randomly, but guys kept calling.
Got through the first day OK, but just
after 00z Saturday night, the SWR went
to 3:1, and stayed there. I was
hearing OK, but had to struggle for
every QSO. I considered quitting, but
knew I was doing well on the other
bands and kept going. Before I took my
sleep break Sunday morning, I gathered
the parts I would need for a makeshift
antenna - a wire GP that I could hang
from a tree.
Installation would have
to wait until daybreak.

At 17z on
Sunday when the 20M run began to slow,
I went outside and installed the 40M
GP in a tree close to the house so I
could at least work a few multipliers
in the last few hours. Managed to work
RW9USA, VK6LW, ZC4LI, H7A,
and A54XR
with it, so I guess it was worth the
time. I could not crack the pileup on
OD5NJ though. I tried to run with it,
but nobody answered my CQs. Of the 543
QSOs on 40, fewer than 50 were made
after the halfway point.

Amazing
rates on 20M. I guess that everyone
has been looking forward to this
contest, and wanted to operate. With
15 and 10 in poor shape, everyone was
on 20. I had long stretches with the
rate meter over 200. Missed those LP
Asian openings while I was busy on
other bands. 

When I put the second
radio there on 15 Sunday morning, the
first signal I heard was TO3R - a
solid s7! A little while later, I
thought the European signals were
peaking a bit, and managed a half-hour
run there good for almost 100 Qs. 

My
6 QSOs on 10 consisted of local
multi-multi K1TTT and 5 LUs, all in a
10-minute period Saturday. Nothing
else heard, though I only listened a
few times. Dear sunspots: We miss you
- please come back soon.

80 and 160
played quite well, and I had some nice
runs on both. I'm very pleased with
the antenna performance on those bands
at this QTH. A new 500-foot 2-wire
Beverage in the friendly neighbor's
woods made listening
easier.

Congratulations to K5ZD on
another great job, and his retirement.
Unlike Randy,
I am *not* retiring from
SOAB contesting, and will have a
working 40M antenna next
year.

Despite the 40M beam failure
that probably cost me this contest, I
still love this game!

73 and thanKS
for all the QSOs,

Doug K1DG