CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW - 2019
Call: K5GN
Operator(s): K5GN
Station: W5KU
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Texas
Operating Time (hrs): 46
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 92 17 50
80: 462 23 79
40: 925 36 115
20: 938 34 116
15: 303 29 81
10: 59 13 28
------------------------------
Total: 2779 152 469 Total Score = 4,343,895
Club: Texas DX Society
Comments:
Even with no sunspots, this is quite an event. Everybody seemed to be on from
everywhere (though some parts of the world seemed very far away in these
conditions). Very grateful for those who traveled on expeditions to so many
different countries.
The only bad behavior I noted other than a couple of frequency fights was EM2Q
calling a Zone 7 station on 160 with a local signal (30dB over S9 on the
beverage). Remote cheating is absolutely useless cheating.
I was forced to climb a tower to repair the 20m stack relays Friday afternoon
instead of completing the station checkout, getting a much-needed nap, and
warming up on the air. Lightning damage, it seems, that happened overnight
Thursday was the culprit. This took until almost dark and I was outside putting
up the beverage feedlines in the dark as the contest was starting.
I thought that relay box failure was the only damage, but it wasn't. It took
until Sunday afternoon for me to realize that the high 20m antenna rotator was
off by 60 degrees. The stack worked but I was sending the most valuable low
angle part of the signal in an unintended direction. Really couldn't get
anything going to JA the first or second night, lots of CQing in my face by Far
East mults, low rates in prime time to Europe, loud W6's calling during the
Europe opening, etc., and this explains it all. I was putting it down to the
crappy ionospheric condx - wish I had figured it out sooner, duh. I finally
figured it out when VK long path signals peaked up over UA9.
40 was a madhouse as usual, but I felt competitive there and found a lot of
mults. I spent more time on 80 than usual, so the QSO total was down.
80m was better than I've ever experienced from here. Amazing to get lots of
answers to CQs. Unfortunately both JT5DX and HS0ZAR were heard but no joy for
my 5BWAZ. Other locals reported working them just after sunrise but I didn't
find them then.
160 was also very interesting. We figured out the week before how to fix a
couple of persistent noises that had prevented hearing very well, so I was able
to hear so many DX, and worked everything heard except for SV (heard calling
others). S01WS was worked there for an ATNO!
15 opened to Europe only partially here on Saturday; it seemed eastern W5's in
MS and W4's had it much better. It was worse on Sunday morning, but there was
an interesting brief opening to UA3, likely sporadic E, and I didn't think to
check 10m - probably lost an opportunity to work a European there. Sunday
afternoon it opened fully to JA for about 15 minutes with JA3YBK and just a few
others over S9.
10 was dismal, with only a few Africans and VK's outside of N and S America.
I was really counting on that Friday afternoon nap, having been shorted on sleep
a few nights during the work week. I missed most of the first hour and had to
sleep near the end of EU sunrise Sunday morning. I just wasn't making any sense
with what my hands were doing on the keyboard.
Ended up achieving the goal I had set based on prior low cycle years, but felt
like I could have done another 500 QSOs. Lots of really slow hours.
As usual, here's to next year!
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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