[RMVHF] CQ SSB WPX from Costa Rica

[Ken Anderson]

Hi Jack, WM0G:

I missed you up at LARCfest Bldr County Fairgrounds this time.  I did get there late about 11:00 am but stuck around til 12:30.  Don't know if you can use this for the MHDXA bulletin or not but here's my report from the DX-side in the CQ SSB WPX.

Operating at TI5N:

Phil N0KE and I had a good time operating the CQ SSB WPX multi-single in Costa Rica as TI5N.  We made 3319 Qs and a bit under 7 mil points operating at Keko TI5KD's place just outside of San Jose.   Keko has quite an antenna farm and a nice Alpha amp tho we had to bring our own rig as his Kenwood 940 was out of commission.   Anyway, while Phil was an old hand at being dx, it was a fun experience for me to operate a contest from the dx side for the first time.
In the test, we worked some of the MHDXA gang, notably K0EU, K0COM, WM0G, W0CG,and W0UA;  many from Grand Mesa Contesters of Colorado and friends, including:   K0CL, K0DU, K0FX, K0GAS, K0BJ, K0RI, K8FC, KV0Q, K0AV, W0CBH, W0LSD, W0RAA, W0RIC, N0HF,  N0ZA, N0QO, N0KM, N0VD, WK0P, NX7TT (at K0UK's QTH), and N7KA;  and other CO stations:  W6OAL, K0EZ, W0ATC, W0DET, W0ZTL, and N0BUI.  Thanks for all the QSO support guys and sorry if I missed anyone's callsign.

160m:

While there, Phil and I made a special effort to operate as TI5/W0ETT on 160m CW to provide some Costa Rican QSOs for those needing that country.   The first couple of nights, I used 100w to an inverted L that was 60' vertical and the rest horizontal;  ground was using the tin roofing about 10 ft high and 50+ long.  Ended up working about 120 QSOS on top band of which about 60% were with EU stations.  It was amazing how strong some of the EU stations were with 5B4AHS and 4O/YU1WX on top of a pile calling me with 599 plus 20 sigs just about 0300z.  After working those two, I was amazed at the remaining pile up of EU that was something I've NEVER experienced as a W0 from home!   Also worked a number of CO stations those nights with K0EU, W0BV, WA0RSX, K0DU, K6XT, and N0KM and nearby friends K0BJ and N7KA getting logged before the test.   After the WPX contest, we fired up a 500w amp to the inv L and tried 160m again Tues night before leaving where Phil and I took turns running the NA/EU stations with the best luck to EU between 0300z and 0430z.  Phil and I figured it had to be at their gray line to give the EU sigs such enhancement to get to us just north of the equator in TI land.  After the EU window, the US/VE stations were dominant and without competition, except for an occasional stn from the west coast of EU or a SA station.  Have to say that it was the best dx I've heard on 160m

HF:

Also, we did some 15, 20, and 40m HF operating outside the contest working about 450 Q's sticking mostly to CW since we did plenty of SSB in the contest.  While Costa Rica isn't the rarest country, it was a fun filled time in Costa Rica for us Coloradoans getting a chance to be dx.  Our hosts Keko TI5KD and his XYL Sophia were great, the station and antenna farm performed very well, and the food and warm weather beat cool Colorado's for our stay!  I wouldn't mind going back for a CW contest sometime!

QSLs:

If you need Costa Rica on any of the bands we worked as TI5N or TI5/W0ETT, I'm glad to QSL for local Colorado and GMCC/friends but you may get a TI5/W0ETT qsl written over as I'm sending off to W4MPY for a supply of those cards shortly.  Please send a SASE, thanks.  For others, TI5N qsl requests go via W3HNK with SASE requested. 

73 Ken, W0ETT

cc:  GMCC, RMVHF, Waterton ARS

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.rmvhf.org/pipermail/rmvhf/attachments/20080406/77424bed/attachment.htm