[PVRCNC] 2026 ARRL DX SSB K4TMC SO SB10 LP Unassisted

[Henry Pollock - K4TMC]

ARRL DX Contest, SSB - 2026

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

Class: SOSB10 LP
QTH: NC - FM05oq
Operating Time (hrs): 14.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:    0     0
   40:    0     0
   20:    0     0
   15:    0     0
   10:  160    50
-------------------
Total:  160    50  Total Score = 24,000

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Interesting contest…

For the 3rd year in a row, family schedules (spring break college grandson
and friends take over the sand dune) forced me to participate in this
effort from the home QTH again in the SOLP 10M un-assisted category with
the Moxons in the attic. I missed the Friday evening opening but did note
that at 0400 PV2G was still being heard at the bottom end of the phone
portion of the band. So, that gave me hope that Saturday would be a
successful day. Plus it was warm weather here in NC and that noisy
neighborhood heating system did not challenge me with S5 to 7 RFI. At the
last minute I decided to use the KX3/KXPA100 combination, which works well
for an S&P effort.

Saturday morning around 1230Z the band was only open to the South. So, I
proceeded to S&P the band for Central and S. America stations. Finally
around 1300 I started hearing some of the southern European stations. Some
of the other Europeans finally made it into my log but it was more
difficult than I had experienced in more recent 10M efforts. There was a
lot of QSB which forced me to spend more time for each successful contact.
As a result, my S&P rate was really bad. In addition, I wanted to see if I
could find 3Y0K breaking through the noise. Never heard them, but found
7Q3M with a huge pileup, and worked XS1, T32 and a QRP PU2. Later in the
afternoon I did hear a JR1 but could not get him to hear me. I finished the
day happy to have worked the 4 VK stations I heard. The Contest Scoreboard
was helpful in keeping me motivated during the slow day. I had a fun time
jockeying for position between a N1 and W6. At the end of the day I came
out on the bottom by about 4k points.

Sunday morning most of the same C & S Americans stations started making
their presence known around 1230. Things seemed better than the previous
morning as I worked E77 at 1238. But as I went up the band there were only
a D4, CN and ED8. Slowly, a few more southern EU stations (EA,9A, I, YT)
made it through the S1 noise level. QSB was still bad. I finished the
second day happy to have worked ZD7, ZL, AH2 and some weak 100W PYs. I
never could catch up with my SOLP SB10 scoreboard competitors.

What seemed to be missing both days were those 50 to 100 loud EU stations
that were always there over the last few years that formed a solid S9+ wall
of stations from 28.300 to 28.500. I’ll try the 24hr SA10M Contest this
coming weekend. It will be interesting to see how conditions will be during
the CQWPXSSB at the end of the month. I’ll probably have to do the WPX from
home since I have a concert in Durham to attend that Thursday evening,
which will prevent a trip to the beach sand dune for pre-contest setup.

73,

Henry – K4TMC



Rig: Elecraft KX3/KXPA100 with Heil HC-4 mic element
Antennas: 3 MFJ1890 10M Moxons in home 2nd floor attic at 26 ft, oriented
to Europe, C&S America and West