CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW
Call: CN2YM
Operator(s): DL3YM
Station: CN8VO
Class: SOAB(A) LP
QTH: Agadir
Operating Time (hrs): 43.0
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 4 2 3
80: 106 14 58
40: 932 29 92
20: 727 31 96
15: 710 32 105
10: 686 23 90
------------------------------
Total: 3165 131 444 Total Score = 5,389,475
Club: Rhein Ruhr DX Association
Comments:
Contesting is about winning and setting new records �" but in the
first
place it is about conquering your own, very personal frontiers and having fun
doing so.
After learning that because of a paper presentation at a symposium in Morocco
this year I would not be able to make it home in time for the CQWW I asked
Abdou, CN8VO, if I could operate from his place. We had only met once before,
but instantly he offered his shack and provided invaluable help in obtaining a
CN-licence. So when I found myself operating from the old quarters in downtown
Agadir, being reminded regularly by the muezzin from the nearby mosque that I
was far away from home doing what all CW contesters love so dearly, I felt
privileged to realize that ham-spirit is alive and kicking �" maybe
not
in rude pile ups, but in people from different cultures becoming friends.
Operating was a challenge to say the least. Abdou’s antenna farm consists of
a single double zepp. It worked pretty well on 10 to 40 meters, so so on 80 and
not at all on 160. In addition, we would get RF into the shack on all bands
from
20 and up, thus making the use of computer-generated CW impossible. It has been
a while since I had to send the calls of all stations worked by hand. Sorry for
the QSD which got worse with fatigue taking its toll on me. In addition there
was this bad local QRM on 15 and 10 meters that would kind of come and go in
waves, making copy of all except the loudest signals on those bands very hard
occasionally.
But then, I will not complain. CN of course is a perfect location for the CQWW
with an excellent take off to both EU and NA. Whenever I moved to a new band it
would only take moments for the pile ups to develop �" except on 80
and
160. I found it pretty easy to break even big piles on new mults with low power
and my modest antenna, probably the CN call sign and the seaside location
adding
many dBs, hi. As others have noted, condx on Saturday were excellent but seemed
to gradually deteriorate as Sunday progressed. I took a 3 hour nap early Sunday
morning when 40 meters did not produce any sustained runs anymore and 80 + 160
meters had been worked dry. On Sunday evening I had to stop around 22 UTC in
order to pack the station because my flight back to DL via Casablanca was
scheduled very early the next morning. So operating time was limited to roughly
43 hours. I am sure that a significantly higher score would have been possible
if I had been able to operate the 48 hours straight and if that beam that Abdou
is planning to set up plus a competitive 80 + 160 antenna would have already
been in place. But hey �" it is great to have something to look
forward
to, right?
Tnx all for the QSOs. This sure was a memorable experience. I am grateful that
my XYL and my 2 boys let me come home later because I wanted to operate the
contest. And my sincere thanks go to Abdou - I feel honored to call you my
friend. Looking forward to seeing you again soon, InshaAllah.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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