DX vs. WX
"Swell"
Just as the bands kick back into high gear with good DX and strong signals for this weekend’s contest, a drought-ending series of thunderstorms is headed to southern Texas.
As Clint would hiss, “Swell.”
I have a feeling the threads on my PL-259 going out the window are in for a workout as I attach and re-attach antenna to shack, dodging thunderstorms. If I fail to post a follow-up after the contest, you’ll know my timing was off and I’ll be operating from that big antenna farm in the sky, where all DX is long-path.
The bands are in quite good shape though and weathermen are known to be wrong.
In any event, conditions are FB and some new band-countries have been worked thanks to pre-contest preps:
- Somalia 6O3A last night was pretty weak on 40m but no one was calling him…he was CQing over and over with nary a pile-up - I couldn’t believe my luck. His online log confirms he was legit. One of those “right place at the right time” deals.
- ST2AR in Sudan was pegging the K3′s virtual S-meter. Not a new one for me but fun to duke it out with the other pile-up participants.
- H40FN Temotu and 9K2/SP4R Kuwait were new band-countries for me. Thanks guys.
Good luck to everyone in the ‘Test – it’s a great opportunity to pick up some New Ones no matter what your power level.
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Radio
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Contesting, DX
Themocracy
Good luck to you John and hope to make contact with you in the test….one thing I like about my attic antenna is the rain has no affect on it.
Same here…but lightning does.
I’ve been plagued by bad WX a lot, having a fieldday-like setup. In 2008 it was high winds so I could not put everything up as it should, for a few contest weekends spread over the year. As if the WX-gods were picking on me each and every contest weekend. In between, WX was just fine.
In 2010 I had to QRT in a few contests just when I was ‘on a roll’: severe T-storms right over my head. I just had to unplug everything when the dark clouds were looking at me, as Clint would say: “Do you feel lucky, punk?”. Exit contest.
Knock on wood, but WX hasn’t stopped me for a while now…