CQ Worldwide DX Contest - SSB
Call: WP2Z
Operator(s): K6RO
Station: WP2Z
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Virgin Islands
Operating Time (hrs): 44
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
-------------------------------
160: 28 6 18
80: 233 14 38
40: 399 16 51
20: 1691 29 103
15: 2304 34 116
10: 2565 28 93
-------------------------------
Total: 7220 127 419 = 9,474,738
Club/Team: SCCC
Comments:
Equipment:
FT1000D,Alpha 87a,DVS2,CT9
C3E @ 30ft 10/15/20m
Cushcraft 2 el @ 25ft 40m
wire diplole 80/160m
Soap:
This was going to be my first SOAB away from home.It was intended to be a
learning experience and it really was!. I thought I was prepared down to the
smallest details,but a few things did not go as planned.About a weak before I
left for the WP2Z qth in St.Croix,I had a few minor asthma syptoms.In my
case,that means coughing almost every time I try to talk.That is not a good
thing in an ssb contest.I went to the doctor and explained my situation and she
said she would do the best she could with medication.I was told it would take 2
weeks to be back to 100% so I knew I was going to have a difficult time.
Herb,KG6OK and myself spent a few days getting the station ready to go.We
thought everything was in perfect shape until I tried to work some 40m split
and noticed that my second vfo on my 1000d was not tunable.I tried all the
normal fixes and even had Doug,N6RT call Yaesu for me to try to get the magic
fix.Nothing worked and this really got me worried as it would really slow down
my 40m rate.
I figured that if I only had a voice and a 40 meter problem and all else went
well,I would still have a great time and make lots of Q's.
I started the contest on 20 meters and things went pretty well.After about 4
hours the coughing started and pretty much continued for the next two days.I
took my first break after 31 hours and was planning on only one hour away from
the radio and then getting back on the low bands to pickup the much needed
mults there.The alarm clock went off after one hour,but I made the mistake of
hitting the snooze button.This turned a one hour break into a four hour
break.When I got up, I knew I had just blown a ton of 40-160 mults.I got back
in the chair and stayed there until the end going for rate and moving every
mult I could to make up for my earlier mistake.
I missed my qso goal by about 800 Q's and the mult total by about 50.
After the contest,Herb took me out to dinner and I didn't say one word the
whole time.I was happy it was over,but was already planning the next one !
I had a fantastic time even with the few problems I had.It was fun and that's
what it is all about.I plan on going back again soon.
Thanks to K7BV for helping with the antenna and rotor problems earlier in the
month, and to N6TJ,N5KO and CT1BOH for giving the new guy a few tips to try to
do a decent job.
73 de Larry K6RO
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