I believed in one more miracle from this solar cycle. It didn’t fully happen, but not bad at the end of the day.
I decided to focus my effort before CQWW CW to get a second tribander in the air and to replace 160m old rotten wires. The tower base for temporary installations was done quite early, but then weather stopped cooperating. Heavy rain, mud, frost, snow, cold, wind… Installation of 5-circle RX array had to be cancelled. I had to seize the relatively good weather windows to get all things done. The 160m ANT was ready on Monday, the tribander erected on Thursday. Friday hamshack tuning was done on time. Theoretical preparation consisted of checking the 2024 CW and 2025 SSB logs and VOACAP predictions. VOACAP predicted worse conditions compared with both, last year’s CW and last month’s SSB. Fortunately, it was actually better.
Starting on 40m was the only one choice. Checks of 20m proved, that either I have issue with TCVR/ANT or the band is dead, hi. The first hour was a warm-up, but the next 5 hours slot was the highlight of this contest for me. Smooth, heavy pileups, good and clear signals on both, 40m and 80m. It looked like I’m going to beat my best scores. Then high bands started to play, rates went down, but eastward directions worked. Dual CQ didn’t bring many points, so I did more S&P to maximize mults. High bands closed quickly, immediately and definitely on Saturday evening. No second opening on 20m, as sometimes happens. I wanted to stay on 40m during second night as well, but my body said: break. A few hours of sleep was the only option. Sunday morning was already too late for 40m NA runs. Sunday was a bit better on high bands, few pileups happened, but EU and also many DX signals had a „bell-echo“ sound. This complicated using the second radio. Sunday evening was fruitful, brought a good number of valuable mults across all bands. I missed the usual NA opening on 40m, which had regularly given me „micro turbo effect“ in recent years.
What a pleasure not to have had a big problem finding place for CQ compared to SSB, aspecially on 40m. But I had to fight for my CQ frequency quite often. One well-known contest call sat 100-150 Hz from me. He heard me fairly well, he answered to my „PSE QSY“, immediately and „logically“: „WHY?“, hi. I have to admit: I was surprised by his resourceful reaction. Increasing of „bulldozer“ signals from the east again.
How to summarise? Conditions definitely declines. Compared with CQWW CW 2024, but significantly also with CQ WW SSB 2025. I was a bit disappointed right after the bands switch off at 0000Z on Monday. I wanted to beat my personal RAW scores (4,1 M). But today I have to say, taking into account the declineing propagation, I couldn’t complain. Final result prioritisation brought me personal countries mults record.
The station worked without any major problem, since I take care about every construction detail. Minor problem was increasing of ACOM micro issues. Will be send for general repair to prevent burning out in the middle of the next contest.
This year’s contest brought me the question whether Unassisted is still the right category for me. It started to be place mainly for „2BSIQ machines“ and „Classic“ guys. I’m not good enough for 2BSIQ, but I’m still well motivated for full-time. There are fewer and fewer full‑time non‑2BSIQ competitors in SOAB Unassisted. Will see, I have 360 days to think about it.
Congrats to the winners, thanks to all competitors. CU
FINAL score: x xxx xxx
Category: SO AB HP
Rank: WW #xx EU #xx OM #x
RAW score: 3 827 240
Category: SO AB HP
Rank: WW #38 EU #8 OM #1
Call: OM7K
Operator(s): OM7RU
Station: OM7RU
Class: SO AB HP
QTH: JN98OQ
Operating Time (hrs): 43:27
Location: Europe
Band QSOs Zones Countries
-------------------------------------------------
160: 160 8 39
80: 476 16 64
40: 931 29 93
20: 509 27 78
15: 621 28 92
10: 465 30 86
-------------------------------------------------
Total: 3162 135 452 Total Score 3,825,479
Club: OM0M Dozen Dashes Contest Club
Used equipments:
- Kenwood TS-590SG
- Yaesu FTDX-101D
- OM Power 3500A
- ACOM 2000A
- microHAMs: MK2R+, 2x Station Master, doubleTEN, ARCO
- 2x OM Power OM6BPF
- DXLog
Antennas:
- 160m: Half Sloper @30,5m
- 80m: OptiBeam OB1-80 @34m
- AD-3446 @31m
- Cushcraft A4S @6,5m fixed to NA
- 2-el tribander @15m
- 40m: Inv V @20m
- 20m: Inv V @10m
- K9AY RX loops
73!
Riki, OM7RU/OM7K
www.tucek.sk/om7ru