CQWW WPX Contest, SSB
Call: WX3B
Operator(s): WX3B KU1T N8IVN WA3AER N3KS N3YIM NH7C N3WZR K1RH N3VOP N3FX KE3X
WR3R N3WD N8YSZ
Station: WX3B
Class: M/M HP
QTH: Maryland
Operating Time (hrs): 48
Summary:
Band QSOs
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160: 63
80: 347
40: 1461
20: 1556
15: 1864
10: 1934
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Total: 7225 Prefixes = 1679 Total Score = 32,428,206
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
Incredible band conditions and a great group of operating friends combined to
make this one of the most memorable and FUN WPX events in the lifetime of
WX3B.
Earlier this year I reviewed the WPX record set by KM3T and his team in 2000
and dreamed about breaking it. It would take unusually good band conditions on
all high bands, and reasonable conditions on the low bands to have a chance to
do it from my own station.
Team WX3B came together nicely and we had an excellent blend of regulars and
fresh blood at my station. We had times where there were more bodies than
radios, and lean times near the end when we couldn’t staff all the radios.
We had wind induced power line noise on Friday night. We had snow static for a
good portion of Sunday afternoon and evening, yet the WX3B operators rose to
every challenge and kept moving forward!
On Saturday Rick NQ4I suggested our team subscribe to the CQ contest on-line
scoreboard, so we did, and that itself was an event within the event. There
was a 3 way race for first place (well of those that subscribed….we shall see
if there were others!) and while Rick’s team maintained a narrow lead, K9CT
and WX3B kept trading positions. My hat is off to Rick for his victory
�" on the heels of major ice damage and rebuilding of his station in
record time to get ready for WPX. It is also an amazing feat that Craig, K9CT
built a station that competes so well from the mid-west….their signals have a
lot further to travel to reach EU! Craig’s team pulled ahead of us to claim
second place (on the scoreboard) within minutes of the contest end. What a
THRILL!!
Team NQ4I was the first to break the claimed USA record, quickly followed by
team K9CT, and eventually team WX3B. What an incredible weekend on the bands
to support this type of activity.
10 meters was the big story at WX3B…finally getting a REAL band opening to
EU, and one that lasted until 6:00pm before looking toward Asia/VK/ZL each
night. The Asian band opening seemed to go on forever Friday night and the EU
opening was delayed several hours Saturday morning….however it did open and
was good for many QSOs. Of course Sunday’s opening was earlier and EUs were
audible by 6:00am. 15 meters had EUs audible throughout the night! 20 meters
just never closed, EUs and Asians were being worked 24 hours per day…though
the hours from 7:00am to noon were PAINFUL on 20. Sunday was particularly
slow; it was hard even getting USA stations to respond….however that was a
necessary strategy…work USA when EU could not be worked….I should have
thought about that earlier in the contest.
The SID (flare) kept us on our toes and one operator asked me to come down and
inspect 20 meters because “it just DIED”…fortunately a quick look at
Facebook confirmed we were not alone. Taneytown, MD literally had a cloud over
it for most of Sunday afternoon and evening and a freak hail/snow/sleet storm
kept our noise floor on the high bands > 10dB / 9. My apologies to all of
our friends who thought we were deaf most of Sunday….I can assure you…we
WERE!
40 meters was in excellent form most of the weekend and we were treated to a
nice Asian opening Sunday morning…it was fun packet chatting with KD4D to
keep ourselves motivated during the slow times �" and we were rewarded
with some excellent DX.
80 meters seemed to have good propagation however there was a lack of density
of stations to work. I am quite sure the STELLAR high band conditions
suppressed activity on the low bands. 160 was almost totally ignored this year
at WX3B.
I want to thank each of the WX3B team members for making this such a memorable
contest, particularly Sid NH7C who became the station manager each evening when
I had to depart my station in favor of family activities. A special thanks is
due to my YL Elizabeth, who furnished much of the food for our weekend event.
So the question now is….does anyone think we might have a shot at conditions
like this….NEXT YEAR???
Very 73,
Jim Nitzberg WX3B
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