October 2008

This year, we started into October contest with low expectations: Weather forecast was terrible. But finally, we got away in a relatively nice way: Setting up all the antennas was all completed in time during a windy and rather cold saturday morning and early afternoon, but with many sunny intervals and just little rain. Setting up the new UMTS-data-connection via an USB-stick proved to be more difficult than expected, and so finally some minutes before the start of the contest we fell back to our old method of using a USB-connected mobile phone instead of the stick.

70cms had a furious start with good first 2 hours, but then slowed down. 23cms on the other had suffered from a 6db attenuation at the TRX that went unnoticed until about 2h into the contest, with many missed skeds sent up from 70cms. After we found that little nasty switch, 23cms gained momentum and brought better results (obviously!). The wind increased up to gale force during the evening, and heavy rain set in, too….Luckily we could stay in our caravan. After a night break, the morning shift found the 23cm antenna in the mist slightly leaning to the side due to strong winds, and had to fix that first before continuing with the operation. 23cms had a nice start in the morning with IZ4BEH and I4LCK/4 again easily worked (great job guys, why didn’t we try that earlier? :-).

But shortly after that, when QSOing a DL, Murphy wanted to make his QSO with us, and the TS850 used to drive the transverter started smoking and smelling. We disconnected it immediately, plugged it back in afterwards and found the RX ok, but the TX not working. Repairing was impossible on-site, and the only other HF-transceiver suitable for driving a transverter was in use on 70cms. To be able to continue with 23cms we had two options: taking the 23cm tower down in heavy rain and gale, opening the box behind the dish in that rain and trying to disconnect the transverter in that box to drive the amplifier with a regular 23cm transceiver from our caravan, with added problems to determine the right power to drive everything, and then putting everything back up, or to use our 13cm-driving TS790 TRX on 70cm without the in-caravan transverter, and using the 70cm TS850 on 23cm…Due to technical and weather reasons, we opted for the second, and started to replug everything to use the TS790 at our 70cm operating position. As expected, there were some problems like non-matching PTT cables, unsuited power levels to drive the amplifier, and so on…so some soldering and work had to be done until everything was working again. After a break of roughly 2 hours 70cm and 23cm were QRV again while 13cm went QRT.

On 70cm, the worse quality of the TS790 on TX and RX compared to a TS850+transverter was obvious, but we could keep going, and finished the contest with satisfying result given the circumstances. We noticed a very low number of G-stns on 70cm, and even the number of OKs was unexpectedly low. On 23cm, keeping that band QRV really payed out well: Despite bad rain and wind we could add some nice QSOs with OK2, OM, G and OZ to our log giving the score a nice boost. We ended on that band with the second-best score ever after last years extraordinary nice conditions, even with 2 hours auf 6dB attenuation and 2 hours of changing transceivers. ODX on 23cm was even better than on 70cm.

13cm surely was below expectations due to going QRT on sunday morning and some missed skeds in the very beginning of the contest. 3cm had some rain scatter, but as there was rain all around us, we could not use it effectively for DX-QSOs.

Luckily, half an hour before the end of the contest the rain stopped, and the free operators started taking down 3cm early to use the dry period. We could even get the other antennas down in no or just little rain but strong wind. But at the very end, when we had to push the caravan trailer out of the soft ground to reach the road, we experienced very heavy rain and all got soaking wet…we missed a dry departure from the contest site by only 15 minutes.

Contest Report of DR5A in JO30EM on 432 MHz
===========================================
Contest : Region I Standard Contest
Date    : Oct 2008

QSOs    : 310
-invalid: 1
valid   : 309

Squares : 50
DXCC    : 10

Points  : 79.993
Avg. QRB: 258,9 km/QSO

ODX     : OK2KJT, JN99AJ at 844 km

Place   : 5/36

50 Squares:
IN99:   2   1% ( 1050 pts   1%)    IO90:   1   0% (  483 pts   1%)
IO91:   1   0% (  500 pts   1%)    IO92:   1   0% (  514 pts   1%)
JN19:   3   1% (  875 pts   1%)    JN29:   1   0% (  175 pts   0%)
JN37:   1   0% (  372 pts   0%)    JN38:   4   1% (  848 pts   1%)
JN39:   9   3% ( 1172 pts   1%)    JN47:   2   1% (  720 pts   1%)
JN48:   6   2% ( 1529 pts   2%)    JN49:  12   4% ( 2356 pts   3%)
JN54:   1   0% (  800 pts   1%)    JN57:   2   1% (  998 pts   1%)
JN58:   4   1% ( 1719 pts   2%)    JN59:   4   1% ( 1521 pts   2%)
JN68:   2   1% ( 1063 pts   1%)    JN69:   4   1% ( 1988 pts   2%)
JN77:   1   0% (  751 pts   1%)    JN78:   1   0% (  614 pts   1%)
JN79:   3   1% ( 1826 pts   2%)    JN88:   1   0% (  836 pts   1%)
JN89:   2   1% ( 1463 pts   2%)    JN99:   1   0% (  844 pts   1%)
JO01:   2   1% (  817 pts   1%)    JO11:   3   1% (  628 pts   1%)
JO20:   8   3% (  742 pts   1%)    JO21:   4   1% (  558 pts   1%)
JO22:   2   1% (  429 pts   1%)    JO23:   2   1% (  604 pts   1%)
JO30:  33  11% ( 2210 pts   3%)    JO31:  67  22% ( 7113 pts   9%)
JO32:  10   3% ( 2046 pts   3%)    JO33:   2   1% (  633 pts   1%)
JO40:  13   4% ( 2145 pts   3%)    JO41:   5   2% ( 1096 pts   1%)
JO42:  16   5% ( 3956 pts   5%)    JO43:   7   2% ( 2618 pts   3%)
JO44:   3   1% ( 1565 pts   2%)    JO50:  11   4% ( 3849 pts   5%)
JO51:   8   3% ( 2775 pts   3%)    JO52:   5   2% ( 1717 pts   2%)
JO53:   6   2% ( 2650 pts   3%)    JO60:   7   2% ( 3273 pts   4%)
JO61:  11   4% ( 5196 pts   6%)    JO62:   7   2% ( 3636 pts   5%)
JO63:   3   1% ( 1664 pts   2%)    JO71:   3   1% ( 1725 pts   2%)
JO73:   1   0% (  616 pts   1%)    JO80:   1   0% (  715 pts   1%)    

10 DXCCs:
DL  : 250  81% (58198 pts  73%)    F   :  10   3% ( 2948 pts   4%)
G   :   5   2% ( 2314 pts   3%)    HB9 :   2   1% (  784 pts   1%)
I   :   1   0% (  800 pts   1%)    OE  :   3   1% ( 1934 pts   2%)
OK  :  14   5% ( 8292 pts  10%)    OM  :   1   0% (  836 pts   1%)
ON  :  10   3% ( 1008 pts   1%)    PA  :  13   4% ( 2879 pts   4%)    

TOP 20 DX:
Time   Callsign     TX       RX       Locator  QRB
==================================================
21:26  OK2KJT       559 210  559 141  JN99AJ   844
00:16  OM3KII       599 248  599 192  JN88UU   836
06:10  I4LCK/4      55  259  55  047  JN54PD   800
12:06  OK2JI        55  289  59  128  JN89MW   761
00:29  OE3A         55  250  59  197  JN77XX   751
00:01  OL7M         559 246  599 333  JO80FG   715
15:31  OK5Z         59  094  59  053  JN89AK   702
09:15  OK1KPA       59  273  59  235  JN79US   670
14:20  DG1BRB       52  030  59  004  JO73CF   616
13:14  OE5MPL       559 304  559 017  JN78CJ   614
20:57  DH2UAK       52  203  59  012  JO71FU   583
18:10  DJ4TC        59  151  59  011  JO63PN   582
00:36  OK1KFB       599 252  599 149  JN79BC   578
23:32  OL3Z         559 243  599 296  JN79FX   578
15:08  DG6IMR       53  068  59  009  JO71DT   571
15:52  DL8UWE       55  107  59  017  JO71DT   571
22:37  OE5D         55  227  55  108  JN68PC   569
17:31  DL0MOL       59  138  59  022  JO62WN   566
18:13  DG5BRE       57  153  51  004  JO62VM   559
21:54  F6KPL        55  217  51  018  IN99IO   557
==================================================



Contest Report of DR5A in JO30EM on 1,3 GHz
===========================================
Contest : Region I Standard Contest
Date    : Oct 2008

QSOs    : 125
-invalid: 0
valid   : 125

Squares : 44
DXCC    : 10

Points  : 41.933
Avg. QRB: 335,5 km/QSO

ODX     : OK2KYC, JN99BM at 846 km

Place   : 1/23

44 Squares:
IO80:   1   1% (  612 pts   1%)    IO82:   1   1% (  619 pts   1%)
IO91:   2   2% ( 1112 pts   3%)    IO92:   1   1% (  514 pts   1%)
IO93:   1   1% (  643 pts   2%)    JN18:   1   1% (  341 pts   1%)
JN19:   1   1% (  344 pts   1%)    JN38:   1   1% (  192 pts   0%)
JN47:   1   1% (  308 pts   1%)    JN48:   2   2% (  523 pts   1%)
JN49:   3   2% (  609 pts   1%)    JN54:   2   2% ( 1589 pts   4%)
JN57:   1   1% (  504 pts   1%)    JN59:   1   1% (  298 pts   1%)
JN69:   2   2% ( 1019 pts   2%)    JN77:   1   1% (  751 pts   2%)
JN78:   1   1% (  617 pts   1%)    JN79:   4   3% ( 2512 pts   6%)
JN88:   1   1% (  836 pts   2%)    JN89:   2   2% ( 1417 pts   3%)
JN99:   2   2% ( 1690 pts   4%)    JO01:   2   2% (  808 pts   2%)
JO02:   3   2% ( 1297 pts   3%)    JO20:   2   2% (  247 pts   1%)
JO21:   4   3% (  579 pts   1%)    JO22:   1   1% (  190 pts   0%)
JO30:   3   2% (  160 pts   0%)    JO31:  30  24% ( 3244 pts   8%)
JO32:   5   4% (  970 pts   2%)    JO33:   1   1% (  316 pts   1%)
JO40:   7   6% ( 1245 pts   3%)    JO41:   1   1% (  167 pts   0%)
JO42:   5   4% ( 1265 pts   3%)    JO45:   1   1% (  578 pts   1%)
JO46:   1   1% (  688 pts   2%)    JO50:   5   4% ( 1794 pts   4%)
JO52:   2   2% (  728 pts   2%)    JO53:   2   2% (  975 pts   2%)
JO54:   1   1% (  584 pts   1%)    JO60:   5   4% ( 2394 pts   6%)
JO61:   4   3% ( 1866 pts   4%)    JO62:   4   3% ( 2011 pts   5%)
JO73:   1   1% (  616 pts   1%)    JO80:   3   2% ( 2161 pts   5%)    

10 DXCCs:
DL  :  77  62% (17866 pts  43%)    F   :   3   2% (  877 pts   2%)
G   :  11   9% ( 5605 pts  13%)    I   :   2   2% ( 1589 pts   4%)
OE  :   2   2% ( 1368 pts   3%)    OK  :  16  13% (10244 pts  24%)
OM  :   1   1% (  836 pts   2%)    ON  :   3   2% (  331 pts   1%)
OZ  :   3   2% ( 1850 pts   4%)    PA  :   7   6% ( 1367 pts   3%)    

TOP 20 DX:
Time   Callsign     TX       RX       Locator  QRB
==================================================
11:17  OK2KYC       599 110  599 080  JN99BM   846
11:23  OK2KJT       599 111  599 048  JN99AJ   844
08:57  OM3KII       599 090  599 101  JN88UU   836
06:03  I4LCK/4      599 085  519 035  JN54PD   800
05:58  IZ4BEH       599 084  559 032  JN54WL   789
00:20  OE3A         53  082  59  062  JN77XX   751
11:32  OK2PWY       599 112  599 021  JO80HB   730
09:41  OK1KUO       599 096  599 071  JO80FF   716
17:17  OL7M         599 041  599 055  JO80FG   715
11:15  OK2STV       599 109  559 066  JN89DO   715
15:36  OK5Z         599 024  599 022  JN89AK   702
13:42  OZ9ZZ        55  122  55  005  JO46QK   688
16:47  OK1KPA       59  037  59  028  JN79US   670
12:35  OK2DGB       599 116  559 067  JN79RL   660
18:38  G3CKR/P      55  057  55  013  IO93AD   643
10:49  G3OHM/P      59  106  57  028  IO82XJ   619
19:53  OE5VRL/5     59  063  59  026  JN78DK   617
20:29  DL3BQA       51  069  55  030  JO73CF   616
13:24  G4RFR/P      559 119  559 036  IO80UV   612
10:41  OK1KJB       599 105  599 079  JN79IO   604
==================================================



Contest Report of DR5A in JO30EM on 2,3 GHz
===========================================
Contest : Region I Standard Contest
Date    : Oct 2008

QSOs    : 20
-invalid: 0
valid   : 20

Squares : 16
DXCC    : 6

Points  : 6.682
Avg. QRB: 334,1 km/QSO

ODX     : OK5Z, JN89AK at 702 km

Place   : 4/15

16 Squares:
JN49:   2  10% (  388 pts   6%)    JN59:   1   5% (  298 pts   4%)
JN78:   1   5% (  617 pts   9%)    JN89:   1   5% (  702 pts  11%)
JO02:   2  10% (  877 pts  13%)    JO20:   1   5% (  105 pts   2%)
JO21:   1   5% (   98 pts   1%)    JO31:   2  10% (  235 pts   4%)
JO32:   1   5% (  188 pts   3%)    JO33:   1   5% (  316 pts   5%)
JO42:   1   5% (  254 pts   4%)    JO50:   2  10% (  686 pts  10%)
JO52:   1   5% (  371 pts   6%)    JO60:   1   5% (  466 pts   7%)
JO62:   1   5% (  465 pts   7%)    JO73:   1   5% (  616 pts   9%)    

6 DXCCs:
DL  :  13  65% ( 3967 pts  59%)    G   :   2  10% (  877 pts  13%)
OE  :   1   5% (  617 pts   9%)    OK  :   1   5% (  702 pts  11%)
ON  :   1   5% (  105 pts   2%)    PA  :   2  10% (  414 pts   6%)    

TOP 10 DX:
Time   Callsign     TX       RX       Locator  QRB
==================================================
15:48  OK5Z         599 005  559 009  JN89AK   702
19:56  OE5VRL/5     519 014  559 013  JN78DK   617
20:38  DL3BQA       559 016  559 010  JO73CF   616
18:41  G4BEL        52  012  55  005  JO02BI   479
00:32  DM7A         559 020  559 047  JO60LK   466
19:29  DF0YY        519 013  55  901  JO62GD   465
18:09  G3XDY        599 011  549 010  JO02OB   398
17:28  DL9GK        59  009  55  012  JO50TI   373
17:35  DK6AS        51  010  55  010  JO52JJ   371
15:57  PI4GN        52  006  54  007  JO33II   316
==================================================



Contest Report of DR5A in JO30EM on 10 GHz
==========================================
Contest : Region I Standard Contest
Date    : Oct 2008

QSOs    : 15
-invalid: 0
valid   : 15

Squares : 9
DXCC    : 3

Points  : 2.194
Avg. QRB: 146,3 km/QSO

ODX     : DL0GTH, JO50JP at 313 km

Place   : 6/13

9 Squares:
JN49:   1   7% (  191 pts   9%)    JN59:   1   7% (  298 pts  14%)
JO20:   2  13% (  171 pts   8%)    JO21:   2  13% (  324 pts  15%)
JO30:   1   7% (   24 pts   1%)    JO31:   5  33% (  513 pts  23%)
JO32:   1   7% (  188 pts   9%)    JO40:   1   7% (  172 pts   8%)
JO50:   1   7% (  313 pts  14%)    

3 DXCCs:
DL  :  10  67% ( 1675 pts  76%)    ON  :   3  20% (  195 pts   9%)
PA  :   2  13% (  324 pts  15%)    

TOP 10 DX:
Time   Callsign     TX       RX       Locator  QRB
==================================================
19:19  DL0GTH       559 009  559 013  JO50JP   313
15:48  DR6A         599 004  559 007  JN59FW   298
12:25  PA6NL        55  014  55  018  JO21BX   226
10:41  DL3IAS       559 012  559 003  JN49EJ   191
21:05  DL0V         59  010  59  009  JO32PC   188
12:38  DJ1KP        55  015  59  002  JO40JJ   172
16:06  DL4BBU/P     59  005  59  002  JO31LP   132
11:41  DH8AG        51  013  57  007  JO31RL   131
14:24  ON4HRT/P     59  002  59  003  JO20MW   105
09:52  DL8YE        599 011  599 002  JO31MH   100
==================================================