TF4X AB HP, Assisted by DX Dog "Birta"
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SOAP BOX IARU 2010 / WRTC 2010 Contest / TF4X
This was a really interesting IARU Contest.
Working from Thorvaldur´s (TF4M) great station in the middle of mountainous
West Fjords was an experience itself for both eyes and ears. The site survey
of the antenna farm (literally) took alone ca. 2h by walk and car!
Due to schedules and some serious ( more than average) fishing, I missed the
start of the contest.
However, it was a pleasure to hear far more stations than you actually
logged, especially on top band and 80m - yes, in full daylight!
About spotting; I wkd in assisted class rather to do monitoring of the
contest than to make a score.
I found several self-spotters to pretend to do search and bounce,
but actually staying within 5 kHz and fish from their "pond".
Well they did not make high scores but certainly understood well
the human behaviour.
About WRTC stations: huge differences in signal strengths. I wonder how much
time was given to do the final fixing of each stations by the contesters. The biggest S
delta between stations was found on 40 and 80m. Typical, easy to read, sharp compression of voice was found only
in half a dozen stations. Why so few?
QSYs - too few guys asked for QSY when (at least in TF) 2...3 bands were
open simultaneously.
How many WRTC stations did you log? I logged “more than appropriate” … hmm.
About condx: I was hit by strong aurora bursts, but luckily only 20 ... 40
mins long at a time. Since man made noise
was nil, all the bad stuff came to the bands as "act of god".
I was positively surprised to log few stations also on 15 and 10m, though
due to deep QSB one had to be patient - at both ends. Thanks you lads for patiency.
About OHs: OH4A and OH0Z came as cannon balls, OH0X was 10dB weaker. The rest
"as usual". Not so many – is IARU a fading away contest?
Great thanks to Thorvaldur / TF4M to let me have the Aurora Experience and
lending the nice TF4X contest call.
After contest dinner: tender lamb from the owen and new potatoes was just as
amazing as F/B of the rhombic array around the house !!
QSL info:
1. QSOs on IARU – to be confirmed by joint “WRTC2002 Organising Team re-united for WRTC2010 on air”.
2. Direct RF4X QSL via Phil / G3SWH.
3. I workd off contest as TF/OH1RX (from Snaefellsnes and Blönduos, 2 nights
each). QSL via home call, tnx. No direct, please – save the world, your dollars and cut mailing.
See a lot more about QTH, antennas etc. @; http://tf4m.com/
CUL in SAC – serious of JFF guys (just-for-fun), just come to the band!
de
Jouko / OH1RX
PS. Heard in TF; “ What do you do when you get lost in a forest in Iceland? …. You stand up! “