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I decided to work the ARRL International DX Contest today.  Here's my blog post
about it.

From: https://cqdeks4td.blogspot.com/2021/03/cq-contest.html

CQ CONTEST

So after a long hiatus, I decided to run a contest again.  This weekend, from 7
PM EST Saturday to 7 PM EST, was the ARRL International DX Contest.  This one
is where all of the stations in North America, save for Alaska, Hawaii, and a
few other places (these are treated as DX for the contest), try to contact
stations in other countries.  The premise of the contest is to improve
operating skills and I do enjoy that aspect but I also enjoy the thrill of the
chase, if you will.  I won this contest in my state and in my ARRL Division
(Delta Division which is Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi) in
2016 "by accident".  I'm hoping to win this year also though in in a different
operating category.

For this year, I worked 18 different countries.  My total score this year is
1998 points.  The score I won with in 2016 was 432 points.  The only difference
between the two contests, besides my score, is that I made a single contact on
40 meters while the rest were all on 20 meters so I am in a different category.
 I hope I win again this year also!  It would be fun.

I had to dig through some serious QRN and QRM (atmospheric and man-made noise)
this year as well as a lot of QSB (fading) on the incoming signals.  There were
the usual idiots in the US who think because they're running 1500 watts in a
contest--which, to me, defeats the purpose of a contest--and the same idiots
who are rude and think again that if they have power to use that they can just
stomp over everyone else.  Then there were the idiots who can't follow the law
... and others who just shouldn't be on the air.  But that's how it is in every
contest I participate in now, sadly.  No respect or common courtesy.

Even with all that, I had fun.  I ran the contest for about four and a half
hours and enjoyed it tremendously.  I'd love to have a small amp to help reach
some places that I have issues getting to on the air such as Brazil and Chile. 
I believe in using as little power as possible when operating, contest or not.

I did hear someone running QRP (5 watts) from Spain in the contest.

I am very interested in getting my Mosley RV-4C vertical antenna set up and
using it in a contest to see if it works better than my 80 meter EFHW dipole.

My little IC-718 did great in the contest as always as did N3FJP's ARRL
International DX Contest logging software.

I'm looking forward to next year's contest already!

73,
Sean KS4TD


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