I'm not actually contesting, just giving away a few points. 11-12 hours ago was making the trip on 20m & 40m. Right now 15m vy busy and not exactly challenging to contact continental US stations: they're hammering in here at 599+30dB.
As usual, contests a good tool for checking station capabilities. Yesterday my setup let me hear continental US stations on 80m & 10m but no contacts on those bands so I guessed I have more antenna work to do, felt glum. Strange but true, today I'm making 10m US contacts without much trouble. I don't really understand what's changed: still mayhem on a wide open 10m band, US stations booming in & QRM everywhere but I'm getting contacts all the same. Maybe I'm just operating a bit better. Maybe distant stations have worked the 'easy ones' and are now listening harder. Who knows? I'm not complaining.
Thanks for posting in: nice to learn who's busy!!
Vic /Ship's Cat