[HiDARG-MEMBERS] International DX Contest Happening Now!

[Mike Darling]

Well, this is how I did with the Contest. Had great fun.

12 QSOs total: 5 from Japan, 3 from Hawaii, 3 from Alaska, and 1 from Costa
Rica.  Seven on 20m and five on 40m.  20m was definitely hot hot hot...
lots of action during the day on 20m.

Total points 216. A LOT better than the North America QSO party I did a
couple of months ago (3 contacts/3 points on that contest).

I did hear stations that couldn't hear me - I was able to hear TM6M from
France on 20m, folks from Brazil, Cayman Islands, New Zealand, and even
RF9T a station in Russia... but there was definitely a lot of stations
trying to connect with them, and my voice was just lost in the wilderness,
or the ionosphere I guess :-)

I ended the contest Sunday afternoon trying to QSO with PT5J, a station in
Brazil... I wasn't the only one trying to get one more contact before time
ran out - lots of folks doing the same... and talk about stepping on each
other - no mercy for the slow and weak!

Anyway, had a great time, learned more about operating HF, how to use the
radio's scope/waterfall to identify station's signals, how to look for
choice DX signals which usually displayed differently on the waterfall
(usually lots of activity), and when to jump on the air when DX stations
gave their call sign.

Got more work to do on my antenna. Randy W6RA says 20m is the best all
around DX band...Thinking of what it will take to get a 20m vertical up
hidden in a tree. Hmmmm....

Anywhoo, great training for the other contests coming up this spring and
summer.

And did I say fun? 😀

Did anyone else participate? Any results from other hams in the club?

Mike D.
N7GND

On Fri, Mar 6, 2020 at 7:36 PM Mike Darling <themikedarling at gmail.com>
wrote:

> yeah there's definitely pileups...hard to figure out sometime's who's DX
> and calling CQ and who's stateside responding...
>
> Made so far 2 from Japan, a Hawaii, and Alaska.
>
> On Fri, Mar 6, 2020 at 6:12 PM Mike Williams <kb7klt at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Go get em Mike..woohoo...
>> afternoon into the evening is good time for South Pacific and Far East...
>> try to catch Europe first thing in morning.. you'll be competing against
>> the East Coast in pileup then and hard to be heard... patience..
>> There's a ton of Caribbean countries and South America during day too...
>> One year I did a clean sweep on South and Central America 😉...
>>
>> Just work 'em.. figure out the country later 😉
>>
>> This year I'm on a break with Lori on south coast near Gold Beach...no
>> HF  this time😟
>> 73 de Mike KB7KLT
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Mar 6, 2020, 4:54 PM Mike Darling <themikedarling at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> The ARRL International DX Contest has started - SSB only.
>>>
>>> Just made a contact with Japan on 20 meters with my questionable
>>> endfed wire antenna...
>>>
>>> It goes from 4 pm PST today till 4 pm Sunday.
>>>
>>> And remember, international hams are looking for YOU folks here in US.
>>> They only get points for contacting you, not another ham in their country...
>>>
>>> Great opportunity to make contacts outside the US.
>>>
>>> Everyone can do this... Try 20 meters!
>>>
>>> Mike D.
>>> N7GND
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
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