G3TXF in ARRL 10m Contest - Dec 2011

G3TXF Claimed Score : SO CW HP : 1,848 QSOs : 86 DXCC : 61 W/VE/XE mults : 1,086,624 points
DX
Top 20
 - DX
Top 20
W
1,083
 - G
18
UA
152
 - F
15
UR
99
 - YU
13
VE
67
 - EA
10
UA9
49
 - UN
10
YO
32
 - VK
10
I
29
 - OH
9
DL
24
 - OK
9
LZ
22
 - PY
9
EU
19
 - ES
8
Great to see 10m waking up again after it has been asleep for so many years. G3TXF operated full time CW-only on both days.

On Saturday the band opened about an hour earlier than on the Sunday, however on Sunday 10m stayed open to the USA for nearly two hours longer than on Saturday. The first QSO (OL7M) on Saturday was at 0625z and on Sunday it was 5B/RN3QO at 0727z. The last USA station on Saturday was N2IC (NM) at 1803z. Whereas N7AT (AZ) at 1951z was the final USA station worked on the Sunday. The very last station audible on the band after 20z on the Sunday was PJ2T whom I had not worked, but who gracefully sank into the noise as 10m fully closed by about 2015z on the Sunday.
Single 4-el 10m beam at 80ft installed for a SO CW HP entry in the ARRL 10m Contest.
There were two possible records to go after. The SO CW HP record for England has been held by M7M (G0CKP) since 2002. This England record has been comfortably overtaken.

However much more challenging is the European SO CW HP record held by Clive GM3POI since 2001.

My claimed score is a only just a whisker ahead of Clive's adjudicated 2001 record score. Also there are certain to be others (enjoying longer openings further south in Europe) who may have a better shot at winning the European SO CW HP record.
10m beam back on the ground having been taken down after being used in two major contests: CQWW-CW and ARRL 10m 2011
Just as with CQWW CW two weeks earlier, there were times when "everything nearby had massive multiple echos", which made copying even loud stations quite difficult. And also just like in CQWW CW there was no substantial opening (either on SP or on LP) to JA from G, although there was one massive JA (JH3AIU) on the long path, who despite being very loud was difficult to copy because of multiple echos on his signal.

Several other Asian stations (BA7NO, VR2ZQZ/p etc) were also coming through on the long-path (South-West from G).

The antenna was a single 4-el yagi at 80ft (which had been put up for the CQWW CW Contest two weeks earlier, but which was taken down after this ARRL 10m Contest).

It was great to get all the 48 mainland States (with ND being the last one to make it into the log), however nothing heard from either KL7 or KH6. Also nothing heard from VO1, VO2, VY1, VY0 or VE8 in Canada. The Mexican Provincial Multiplier listing on my log remained virtually empty, with only three XE QSOs/provinces worked. Ten metres is certainly getting back to its old form again. But we just need a few more sun-spots so we can get those huge 10m DX openings (eg JA and USA/West Coast) of previous sun-spot maxima.

Operated on CW-only for nearly 25 hours in the ARRL 10m Contest and enjoyed every minute of it!

Table showing number of stations worked in each US State or Canadian Province. All 48 mainland States were worked.

In the USA Florida provided the largest number of QSOs with 71, followed by Texas (68), New York (57), California (55) and Virginia (53).

In Canada Ontario dominated the table with 37 QSOs. Surprisingly there were more from British Columbia (7) than from Québec (6).

However there was no sign of VO1, VO2, VY1, VY0 or VE8.

 Getting ready to take the 4-el Cushcraft 10m beam off the mobile trailer tower after being used in two contests. 10m antenna on trailer during a mild and calm day in early December.
The useful graph from Win-Test shows that 62% of QSOs were with North America (NA).
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