Russian DX Contest (this weekend)

[KD8IZZ]

I haven't worked this contest before.

Is it possible to work all the Russian oblasts on SSB with an average station during the contest?
Sounds like a good chance to at least get a bunch of new oblasts. I would be very happy to reach Asiatic Russia on 40m from Ohio with my wire dipole. I can reach Moscow with the wire but never the Asiatic side.

[N4NYY]

I have gotten all of Russia's zones with 100W, a Imax vertical, trap-dipole, and 5BTV.

I am in Southern NJ dear the Delaware border.

[KD8IZZ]

20 and 15 are open to Europe from the midwest USA, nothing on 10m. Absolutely nothing.

[WE2F]

I've had 3 contacts in 20 minutes with 100 watts and aG5RV in my attic from central NJ.

[KD8IZZ]

Turns out its in reality an international contest. I've reached more Poland than Russia! LOL
Need to balance this QSO party with the VA party. 15m and 20m for Europe and 40m for VA.

[AC4RD]

Turns out its in reality an international contest. I've reached more Poland than Russia!

I only had a couple of hours to play today (Saturday) but I had a bunch of fun.  Don't overlook 10m!  I was on 10 almost the whole time I was in the contest this morning, and I worked a bunch of European stations, North Africa, and French Polynesia.   Tons o' fun!  I'm hoping to get back into the contest for a bit Sunday morning.  :-)   73!   --ken

[N3QE]

I had dabbled at Russian DX in past years, LP CW.

This time I did it at HP CW and had a lot more QSO's, but do not feel I figured out any magic trick to digging up new oblasts. Only 28 unique oblasts in all for me out of 92 that N1MM says are possible. Most all the RU I worked seemed to be major contest stations and I don't think I did any more than just scratch the surface. I'm thinking it takes a lot more than just 3 hours to work the oblasts to any real depth, and it probably takes a dang good station to do it from NA.

I contrast at least a little with OK/OM contest where I feel that from NA I can at least begin to feel the depth of available Q's and mults. Of course I also spend a lot more than 3 hours on OK/OM. It also helps that OK/OM is CW-only, and DX only works OK/OM.

I was using reversebeacon spots from N1MM and it seemed to do a pretty good job of knowing which oblasts were associated with each spotted call.

[KD8IZZ]

Late at night during the contest I was hearing some Asiatic Russian stations but about half couldn't hear me. Drat.

There's a central Asian contest this weekend, never heard of it before. I'll be using a nice vertical antenna this time so I'll have something for 40m. Depending on the propogation I will be working the Alaskans in their contest too.