Triggered by happy feeling one hour before the ARRL International DX contest 2009 started as posted before, I decide to join the contest in confident mood. I believe I will got a lof of fun from this big event held US Radio Amateur league. And later my mood was fully payed by the fun.
Preparations are not much as I only use pen-and-paper logging system, manually keying with iambic paddle. My plan is work at 40m Single Operator Single Band Low Power. Radio is my fave (because I don't have any other) Alinco DX70, tuned to 80w. Antenna is my fave also (because I don't have budget allocation to build a representative tower) the inverted V model, monoband 40m, 9m high AGL on the top galvanized pipe support. Coax cable is 8 years old RG-58, 14 meters long. Now you can imagine my station setup. A budget radio, budget antenna, budget coax and sure budget logging system. And ofcourse a budget contest result also. Hi hi.
Propagation index is very low. SFI=70 while K=0. Still bad propagation condition during the contest. Start joining the contest at 09:00 UTC or 16:00 my local time to meet greyline schedule between YB3 and US West Coast. First I did a S&P. Start logging with K7GK from Oregon. Then followed by N6RO, W6YI, N6AA and others. All of their signals is very-very strong, real 599 and even +10 dB. Sure it's possible they use KW. But the most important is they can hear me with my limitations. Seems propagation is opened in that time slot between YB3 and US West Coast.
After several minutes in S&P mode, suddenly I had power black out down here. It was rain and some thunders sparking the sky at that moment. And the power back after one hour more in the darkness. Now I change my strategy to running mode. I sat in one frequency and call CQ. My log then increase rapidly. Many new state was logged on first evening. Frequency condition is very clear. Low QRN and QRM (pirate stations from my local people), almost no radar jamming sound. And still spaces available to go running mode.
Second evening I'm not too lucky to find good frequency to running mode. Occupations are heavy. Maybe they move to new band as they work another on first day. So I only go S&P. Only several times running mode but always terminated by QRM. Can't stay longer in one frequency.
I close the log with 73 QSO's, ended by K0HA, with 4818 points.
I got good learn from ARRL International DX contest 2009. First, I like many US stations speed is in "normal". Between 15-25 wpm. Some of them are below 12 wpm. It should can encourage my local hams with low speed to join this event next year. Very different when joining WAE or logging EU stations. They usually use 30 wpm or more.
Second, budget station like me can use greyline propagation as a good vehicle to deliver the signals. Can't image, many stations who separated ten thousands kilometers away but the signals are in same level with my local hams. It should can encourage my local hams here in confidence joining the contest even they only have budget station setup.
Third, greyline propagation give me enough time to take a rest and family. Contest is in weekend and weekend usually is family day. We can do it both without leave one to another. It's very happy joining contest at 40m band.
Indonesia stations who I heard on 40m are YB1ALL (hello cak Gustian), YD2LEV (hello cak Ardi), YB3XM, YB2UTX, YC2EUZ, YB4IR, YD1BJX and others. So it will be a tough competition to certificate. That's okay since competition will always resulting a competancy. The best is the winner.
Good luck to you all. And see you next year.
Preparations are not much as I only use pen-and-paper logging system, manually keying with iambic paddle. My plan is work at 40m Single Operator Single Band Low Power. Radio is my fave (because I don't have any other) Alinco DX70, tuned to 80w. Antenna is my fave also (because I don't have budget allocation to build a representative tower) the inverted V model, monoband 40m, 9m high AGL on the top galvanized pipe support. Coax cable is 8 years old RG-58, 14 meters long. Now you can imagine my station setup. A budget radio, budget antenna, budget coax and sure budget logging system. And ofcourse a budget contest result also. Hi hi.
Propagation index is very low. SFI=70 while K=0. Still bad propagation condition during the contest. Start joining the contest at 09:00 UTC or 16:00 my local time to meet greyline schedule between YB3 and US West Coast. First I did a S&P. Start logging with K7GK from Oregon. Then followed by N6RO, W6YI, N6AA and others. All of their signals is very-very strong, real 599 and even +10 dB. Sure it's possible they use KW. But the most important is they can hear me with my limitations. Seems propagation is opened in that time slot between YB3 and US West Coast.
After several minutes in S&P mode, suddenly I had power black out down here. It was rain and some thunders sparking the sky at that moment. And the power back after one hour more in the darkness. Now I change my strategy to running mode. I sat in one frequency and call CQ. My log then increase rapidly. Many new state was logged on first evening. Frequency condition is very clear. Low QRN and QRM (pirate stations from my local people), almost no radar jamming sound. And still spaces available to go running mode.
Second evening I'm not too lucky to find good frequency to running mode. Occupations are heavy. Maybe they move to new band as they work another on first day. So I only go S&P. Only several times running mode but always terminated by QRM. Can't stay longer in one frequency.
I close the log with 73 QSO's, ended by K0HA, with 4818 points.
I got good learn from ARRL International DX contest 2009. First, I like many US stations speed is in "normal". Between 15-25 wpm. Some of them are below 12 wpm. It should can encourage my local hams with low speed to join this event next year. Very different when joining WAE or logging EU stations. They usually use 30 wpm or more.
Second, budget station like me can use greyline propagation as a good vehicle to deliver the signals. Can't image, many stations who separated ten thousands kilometers away but the signals are in same level with my local hams. It should can encourage my local hams here in confidence joining the contest even they only have budget station setup.
Third, greyline propagation give me enough time to take a rest and family. Contest is in weekend and weekend usually is family day. We can do it both without leave one to another. It's very happy joining contest at 40m band.
Indonesia stations who I heard on 40m are YB1ALL (hello cak Gustian), YD2LEV (hello cak Ardi), YB3XM, YB2UTX, YC2EUZ, YB4IR, YD1BJX and others. So it will be a tough competition to certificate. That's okay since competition will always resulting a competancy. The best is the winner.
Good luck to you all. And see you next year.
