P40L-P49Y Contest Summary Information

Comments:

This is our fourth time doing this contest as a multi-single and every year poses different challenges.

This year, despite the excellent high band conditions between NA and EU/Asia -- or perhaps because of those conditions -- QSO rates were down significantly from the outset. We suspect that during substantial periods NA stations were busy taking advantage of the excellent conditions to work EU and Asia stations and therefore less interested in working us here in the Caribbean. Nothing we did, such as more frequent band changes than in the past (with mixed results), compensated for the fact that arrival rates were simply down by 15-20% relative to prior years. Noisy conditions on the low bands during much of the night hours also contributed to lower QSO totals.

We also had some equipment issues -- both rigs had to be swapped out and worked on during the contest, and the upper leg of the 160 meter antenna came down in the middle of the first night -- these created some distractions, although they only had a minor effect, if any, on results, as we were able to keep operating throughout.

We had lots of fun trying to figure out how to maximize QSO and mult totals given the conditions, although it was discouraging at times to watch as the gap between this year's and prior years' results widened throughout the contest!

As always, thanks for all the Q's!

73, John, W6LD/P40L and Ed, W0YK/P49X

Station:
Rigs: Elecraft K3s (2); Icom 756 Pro II
Amps: Alpha 86, Alpha 91B

Antennas:
2 elements 10 meter at 55 feet
5 elements 15 meter at 55 feet
4 elements 20 meter at 68 feet
2 elements 40 meter at 76 feet
1 element 80 meter Sigma 80 at 64 feet
160 meter "Double L" vertical at 67 feet
Four 500 foot beverages using K9AY switching box/preamp
Logging software: Win-Test
DSL Internet for Packet/Reverse Beacon