K4TMC SOSB10 LP 2025 ARRL DX SSB

[Henry Pollock - K4TMC]

Call: K4TMC
Operator(s): K4TMC
Station: K4TMC

Class: SOSB10 LP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:    0     0
   40:    0     0
   20:    0     0
   15:    0     0
   10:  420    80
-------------------
Total:  420    80  Total Score = 100,800

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

K4TMC SOSB10 LP Unassisted/no self spotting.

Wow! This was a fun effort with no major problems other than keeping my
butt in the chair.

I and the XYL have spent the last few weeks of February suffering and
recovering from bad colds we picked up from the twin grandboys at the
family SuperBowl party.  As a result, we decided to stay home versus making
a trip to the beach site.

Friday evening at the start of the contest, the band was starting to fade,
so did S&P until 0145 and managed to get 23 QSOs from 14 mults before
everything dropped into the noise. By 0200 the band was dead silent except
for the local RF noise. I still had S2-3 local noise level for the whole
contest effort.

Saturday morning the band started opening at 1200, but never fully opened
to all of Europe. I did not work my first DL until 1500. Made more SA/Gulf
of America contacts versus Europe for the day. Finished the night with
261/66, all S&P. Best catch of the day was S0S.

Sunday morning found the band opening strong at 1200 with more northern
Europe stations being heard versus Saturday. Passed last year’s score
(61,992) at 1250. Although most of the day was still S&P, I managed a few
hours of running a lot of those LP European stations above 28.600. In the
middle of one run, the over-the-horizon radar signals started at 1850 and
obliterated the weak 100W stations that I was trying to work. I lost a few
hours during prime time Sunday taking the XYL to church. Best catches of
the day were 5 JAs and a ZP9.

Biggest disappointment was not getting through to HP1XT when he was briefly
on 10M, missed the Q and mult. Second biggest disappointment was never
hearing a ZS or VK station. Heard a number of zero-point PVRC stations on
back-scatter. I spent a lot of time eeking out weak signals between 28.600
and 29.000.

In comparing this year with last year's effort, I can attribute my better
score to the additional 2 Moxons and lower loss coax. Plus, I was able to
get the K3 to deliver 100 watts without creating any interference with TV
and phone devices. And finally there were 6 more hours of BIC time.

Now looking forward to WPX SSB weekend, hopefully from the beach site again.

Rig: Elecraft K3+ with Heil HC4 mic element

Antennas: 3 MFJ-1890 Moxons at 26 ft in home attic oriented to NE, S/CA and
WNW

73,

Henry – K4TMC