St. John DXpedition ~ 2006 ARRL DX SSB results
The results from the ARRL International DX SSB Contest are in and I can't help but be pleased. I traveled in March of 2006 to St. John in the USVI for the contest and a little R&R. I wrote about what it is like to be on the DX-side of the pile-up here and here. You can see my log from that trip here. There are some nice pictures here.
My goals for the trip and for the contest were (a) to make 500 QSOs, and (b) 100,000 points. I was originally going to bring the Force-12 C3SS tribander with me but in the end I decided it was pushing my weight budget too much. So, with small antennas such as the Buddipole and some verticals made from fishing poles I thought the 100K goal was plenty.
I know I've mentioned this but it bears repeating. Every personal DXpedition you make should have specific goals. There are two excellent reasons for this. The first reason is specific goals help you provide focus when you are preparing for the trip, especially regarding equipment selection. The other reason to have specific goals is it gives you a way to breathe a sigh of relief when you've made your goal and significantly reduces the chances of experiencing pangs over a missed opportunity later. Compare this to going for a run. If you set out to run 3 miles and complete that course, you have done what you set out to do and feel good about the effort. That is much better feeling than wondering how far you've run or whether should should have done more.
Like every contest, this one had categories and you largely compete against others in your category. My category was the following: Single operator Low power DX (not in the continental US or Canada). Here is my score:
From a "place" perspective, in my category I placed 41st of the 449 entries. That's in the top 10%. I'll take it! Remember, this is a 100 Pound DXpedition so I'm not bringing towers and yagis; I'm using lightweight materials with a weight and size limit imposed by two checked airline bags. As you can see, even with these limits you can still do well and have fun!
Earlier this year the Yankee Clipper Contest Club was kind enough to admit me as a member. My score contributed to the group's effort of edging out the Frankford Radio Club as shown below:
Sandy and I had a great time on St. John and I'm pleased to see that my efforts in the contest also met the goals that I had set for myself. Perhaps one more look at that gorgeous QSL card is in order!
My goals for the trip and for the contest were (a) to make 500 QSOs, and (b) 100,000 points. I was originally going to bring the Force-12 C3SS tribander with me but in the end I decided it was pushing my weight budget too much. So, with small antennas such as the Buddipole and some verticals made from fishing poles I thought the 100K goal was plenty.
I know I've mentioned this but it bears repeating. Every personal DXpedition you make should have specific goals. There are two excellent reasons for this. The first reason is specific goals help you provide focus when you are preparing for the trip, especially regarding equipment selection. The other reason to have specific goals is it gives you a way to breathe a sigh of relief when you've made your goal and significantly reduces the chances of experiencing pangs over a missed opportunity later. Compare this to going for a run. If you set out to run 3 miles and complete that course, you have done what you set out to do and feel good about the effort. That is much better feeling than wondering how far you've run or whether should should have done more.
Like every contest, this one had categories and you largely compete against others in your category. My category was the following: Single operator Low power DX (not in the continental US or Canada). Here is my score:
| Call | Score | QSOs | Mults | Club |
| KP2/NE1RD | 106,926 | 502 | 71 | YCCC |
From a "place" perspective, in my category I placed 41st of the 449 entries. That's in the top 10%. I'll take it! Remember, this is a 100 Pound DXpedition so I'm not bringing towers and yagis; I'm using lightweight materials with a weight and size limit imposed by two checked airline bags. As you can see, even with these limits you can still do well and have fun!
Earlier this year the Yankee Clipper Contest Club was kind enough to admit me as a member. My score contributed to the group's effort of edging out the Frankford Radio Club as shown below:
YCCC 196,375,278 with 205 entries
FRC 174,069,834 with 131 entries.
Sandy and I had a great time on St. John and I'm pleased to see that my efforts in the contest also met the goals that I had set for myself. Perhaps one more look at that gorgeous QSL card is in order!
posted by NE1RD's Blog at 12:01 AM
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