I missed the 80-meter contests in March: I wasn’t feeling well during the SSB League, and I was away during the OM Activity Contest. However, thanks more to luck than skill, I managed to win the March round of the VKV Operational Activity Contest on 144 MHz, and the CQ WPX SSB Contest hosted by OM3KUK was also a great experience.
The hour-long shift from standard to daylight saving time can make a big difference in 80-meter contests. Before the SSB League, I’ll say hello to Števo OM7KW. I’m still scanning to see which stations I can hear. There isn’t much time left, so I tune to 3701 kHz. Two kilohertz higher, I hear Martin, OK2WYK. A minute later, he asks if I can move down a little further. I do detect some very faint interference from stations operating lower down, but I’ll move down.
I’m using 250–280 W of power from the amplifier, as recommended by G2DAF. Nearby OK stations are coming in very weakly. Stronger signals are coming from OM and farther distances within OK. Connections are coming in more slowly, so I’m spending more time scanning on the second receiver of my Yaesu FT-1000MP. Others are apparently scanning as well; for example, Milan OM2KI called me:
And later, Števo OM7KW:
I managed 89 contacts in an hour, which is very similar to what Števo OM7KW achieved in his first hour.