CQWW WPX Contest, SSB
Call: VE4VT
Operator(s): VE4VT
Station: VE4VT
Class: SOAB LP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 36
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 58
40: 681
20: 1286
15: 274
10: 64
------------
Total: 2363 Prefixes = 846 Total Score = 5,759,568
Club: Radiosport Manitoba
Comments:
My strategy for this contest is maximize rate. Knowing that running low power
from the center of the continent means that holding a frequency is going to be
a challenge. Sustained runs to Europe or Asia are rare events. That means good
runs to our US neighbors makes up for the lower point totals.
After the initial 6 hours passed, I was pretty happy with the results. Some
decent runs on 20 and 40 working stateside resulted in an average rate of 110
Q/hr. I was shocked when my numbers were higher than some of the big guns like
VE9AA, VE3CX, VY2ZM, and even the multi superstation at VE6SV.
The wheels fell off on Saturday morning. The 20m band opened to Europe OK but
finding a run frequency was near impossible. When I did, I lost it within
minutes it seemed. Even working below 14.150 was a challenge. Plenty of
non-audible eastern stations using the band meant that you had stations coming
back to your call that weren't talking to you. Spent a good deal of time
turning the dial.
Love the big guns that open up cq'ing 200 Hz off frequency when you are trying
to pull a weak signal out of the noise. They are 20/9 so I know they can hear
me. When challenged their stock answer "I have been here for 2
hours". No you haven't and you know it. Won some battles, lost some.
15m opened only very briefly to Europe on Saturday. 15m did not open at all to
the US apart from extreme south Florida. Absolutely nothing on 10m. Not even
the usual Zone 11,12,13 stations.
Saturday night I enejoyed a good run into the US. Worked a few DX stations but
the 4-pointers a agood rate were better than a few 6 pointers at a slow pace.
Tried running below 7.125 and only had one answer from a Canadian. No Europe.
On Sunday things were even worse. 15m never opened initially. 20m was packed
and all the big guns had been worked. Had about 4 hours where the rate meater
never passed 25 Q/hr.
Around 1700z, all of a sudden 15m opened and I was hearing some Europe and even
some stateside. Even 10m showed some faint signals.
By 19:30z, 10m was wall to wall with zone 6-13 signals. I was even hearing a
few stateside signals on backscatter. I was able to build some rate by running
on 15m and S&P on 10m on the second radio. Even the ground mounted vertical
on 10m was yielding big signals.
It is interesting to note that the signals on Sunday from Europe on 15m were
skewed path, coming from the SE instead of the NE. This can only mean that 15m
is the new 10m as we dive into the sunspot cycle minimum.
The last 90m was a thrill ride running on 20m. The QRM was horrific but the
signals were strong.
I guess I will have to tweak my strategy for next year when even less openings
on 10/15 are likely.
73 Ed - VE4VT
Station:
Radios: Icom IC7700, IC746Pro
Antennas: Optibeam OB11-5 @ 17m
Force 12 Delta 240 @ 20m
Sloper for 80m at 17m
Steppir vertical for 40-10m
Software: N1MM+
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