CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: N7JW
Operator(s): N7JW, K7CA, W7UT
Station: N7JW
Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: UT
Operating Time (hrs): 29
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 1144 State/Prov = 58 Countries = 24 Total Score = 292,248
Club: Utah's Dixie DX & Contest Club
Comments:
We had good conditions the first evening of the contest with over 800 QSO's
logged, but conditions were down significantly the second evening. We worked
no new countries the second evening, although we did add two sections to our
total. Some of the DX worked were: JA, 9M, WH0, D4, S5, I, CT3, DU, HL, VK, ZL
and most of the Caribbean and South American countries mentioned by previous
posters. I say most, because we did miss XQ6ET and a P4 that were heard calling
other stations. JT1CO was just perceptible here, but was not strong enough to
be called. BA4ED and VR2BG were not heard. We did work 116 JA's which really
helped our final score. EA8ZS was very strong, but we were unable to bust the
unruly pile-up that was calling him.
This year's QSO total was the best ever for us. Our final score, however, was
just our second best due to a lack of country multipliers.
We are very much in favor of keeping the DX window...it is not easy trying to
work weak Europeans through a cacophony of U.S. stations calling CQ every 500 Hz
from 1.801 to 1.850, even with a top notch receive system. We also feel the
east coast has been given yet another advantage over the west coast with the new
hours of the contest in that they have a third evening (Sunday) to participate
in the contest. Our sunset here in southwestern Utah is 45 minutes AFTER the
contest ends on Sunday. Compare that to Boston, MA, for example, where the sun
sets 2 hours and 15 minutes PRIOR to the end of the contest. It is our opinion
that limiting the hours of operation to 30 hours for ALL stations in the contest
would level the playing field a bit.
We're already looking forward to next year's contest and, hopefully, a better
European opening for us out here in the western reaches of the U.S.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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