CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW
Call: CT9M
Operator(s): KL2A
Station: CQ9K
Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Madeira Islands
Operating Time (hrs): 42
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 59 8 40
80: 348 13 59
40: 1058 25 84
20: 851 33 96
15: 1114 31 93
10: 1094 26 84
------------------------------
Total: 4524 136 456 Total Score = 7,952,928
Club: Rhein Ruhr DX Association
Comments:
THE CT9M EXPERIENCE CQWW CW 2004 by KL2A (long)
First of all? Thanks Team Madeira!
I?m continually aw-inspired by the competitive, organized team spirit at CQ9K!
These boys are ALWAYS seeking improvement! It?s contagious and reminds me of
when I first started at KL7Y. Keep it fresh.
Also, they are quickly becoming the ones to watch. Just add up the past few
years of CQ9K and CT9M; their cumulative score is rising up the charts!
There were several events during my week in Madeira, here are some highlights:
*PRE-CONTEST PARTY BY DJ6QT
On Madeira, there are two main teams that enjoy the contests this time of year.
DJ6QT's CT9L crew who have been active in M2 category, and CQ9K?s Team
Madeira.
This year Walter DJ6QT, shared his 40th wedding anniversary with the guys that
had a fully catered restaurant staff wait on all the guys and their wives. His
bride and mother-in-law were at the head of the table enjoying the fray as we
talked radio and the contest to come.. 59 33.
Here?s a list of who was at the table:
CT3EE CT3FU CT3DL CT3BD CT3KU CT3YA CT3DZ CT3RY CT3IA KL2A
DJ6QT DL5XX DL1YD PA0R I2VXJ W8LU
We ate, drank, and were merry. I made a point of talking with each ham at this
party and was entertained by chatter about strategy in contest food, drink, and
philosophies that kept us going until it was past my bedtime.
*THE STATION
The Station at CT9M this year was similar. Still at 3500? with a water shot in
most directions. 7 towers holding up mono-band yagis and stacks.
These guys build a M/M station in October and leave it up for CW and allowed me
to come and compete. Reminds me of PJ1B a little. To be able to utilize it for
SOAB, it?s a dream come true for sure.
RIGS Two FT1000MP?s (Radio 1 and Radio 2 *receive only)
Tower 1 ? 200? commercial tower
This holds a couple pulleys; 160m elevated vertical, and a high inv vee for
80m.
Tower 2-7 are various 30-70? and each hold a mono band yagi, most with 2 for
stack and spray capability.
Had WX0B stack matches, 6-pack, and SO2R Box. Couldn?t get the SO2R box to work
this year so still SO1R with a receiver. Next year?
*THE CONTEST
Many of you know my history, NL7GP to KL2A and lots of guest and portable
operations in warmer climes. I have more than 1 reason to be attracted to the
tropics. After growing up in Zone 1 literally under the auroral cap I became
attracted to Zone 33. I trained with my home team at KL7Y's contest station,
and even during the bottom of the cycle where we?d be lucky to log 3 Qso?s on
10m, we'd hear CT3 and EA8 stations coming through 2-3am local. Seriously, when
it was marginal to work a due south KH6 or W6 skew path, at times you could find
a Zone 33 barely audible but there coming through!!
This amazed me, and I knew by the sound of their runs it was the place to be,
(on occasion we could even break these guys and get a bewildered response).
Now, I finally got to be one of ?those guys? and it?s truly the way I thought it
would be!
As for this year, the contest went well, I felt like a much better operator
after having a years experience under my belt. I was certainly poised to stomp
last years score. The fatigue factor wasn?t there this time around, where last
year I was a zombie after 32 hours but managed to bob and weave my way through
it.
This year, almost entire week of sleep previous to the event, much less food
consumption, lots of juice, and good hard-core focus.
See, I have KL9A to answer to when it?s all over. He gets you all pumped up 6
months before a contest, and before you know it, you have a ticket to fly to the
tropics? (this is a regular occurrence with him around)
We all know, the conditions were not as good as the week before where we all had
high hopes, however, coming from W7 I wasn?t complaining, I was ready!
My favorite opening was the 2:30am / 0230z BIG Pacific and Asia opening.
Hearing JT, YB, 9M2/8, BV, BA, JA, of course Central / South America etc? that
was impressive!
Also, I experienced one of the bigger pile ups of my lifetime.
An avalanche of Tier 1 Packet boys from the entire Asian, Europe, and American
Continents on Sunday morning? Literally a who?s who of big hardware side by side
and on top of each other duking it out side by side for first Q honors? high
adrenaline situation. Of course, all recorded.
See, the way conditions worked out for me this time, I ended up on 20m with a
very low Q total on Sunday morning and as you can imagine, Sunday conditions and
fresh DX make for a pile!
*COMPARING 2003 to 2004 CONDX
Ladies and Gentlemen, the cycle is dropping fast! Last year on 10m I worked
northern W7 without much trouble, this year I was lucky to hear them on 15 or
20! Last year I started the contest on 20 and worked nearly 800 guys before
going to 40. This year I couldn?t work Europe on 20 at the beginning, it was
dead!
Conditions were, at best, peculiar. For me in retrospect to last year, I
noticed I was not nearly as loud, even though, a more refined and learned
operator of the station, conditions, and strategy.
Looking at my 48 hour graph report, F9 on CT, I see clearly a phenom that I?ve
never encountered. Nearly the entire contest the hours were similar to: 200/hr
then 80/hr, 200/hr then 60/hr, over and over and nothing I could do would seem
to change it. I was sure it was conditions!
Also, I count approx. 50 band countries in my notes that I spent time calling
(not too much) and not working. Last year everyone I called worked me, except
for some JT1 instances and some skew or backscatter stuff - Long Path which
you?d expect from Low Power.
Even stranger observations were not hearing or just missing many of the bigger
DX stations that were very active, where you may hear someone finishing with a
station that was needed. Just not bumping into guys that amass 1000s of Qs
seems odd, but it?s a big world in that box we call an FT 1000 MP during CQWW,
even from CT3.
There are many observations that may interest many of you. For example the boys
in the Puget Sound area on 15 were let?s say S1-7 at a certain time, and a lone
W7JEN was S9. Obviously surrounded by Salt Water. (near the original W7RM
QTH)
160 was open to the USA much better than last year with many 6 banders from
NA.
(same antenna)
My 1st and only NA on 160 the 1st night was VY2NT, man were you loud! He was
there much before any other NA stations. KC1XX was 1st in the log the 2nd
night. Here?s my 20 minute visit to 160 from Day 2:
28-Nov-04 0118 2665 1839 KC1XX
28-Nov-04 0122 2666 1821 ER5FB
28-Nov-04 0125 2667 1824 HA8BE
28-Nov-04 0126 2668 1824 IK4AGP
28-Nov-04 0126 2669 1824 W3LPL
28-Nov-04 0127 2670 1824 RW2F
28-Nov-04 0127 2671 1824 W4MYA
28-Nov-04 0128 2672 1824 W8AV
28-Nov-04 0129 2673 1825 N2RM
28-Nov-04 0131 2674 1825 N2ED
28-Nov-04 0133 2675 1825 WE3C
28-Nov-04 0134 2676 1825 K4JAF
28-Nov-04 0136 2677 1825 VE1ZZ
28-Nov-04 0136 2678 1825 IR2C
28-Nov-04 0137 2679 1825 G3WPH
28-Nov-04 0138 2680 1825 G4UJS
Sleep deprivation did get me once this year, however not in the form of fatigue.
Sunday morning about 8am during prime runs the FT1000mp became Round and began
to float! I lifted my arm to try and stop it and push it down, gently of
course, and it wasn?t there. I decided at that time to take a break even though
that?s a peak rate time.
40m was certainly the band to fall back on when rate dropped at any time
on any given band, and I used 40 a lot for that. However, there were more than
a few times I thought ?I really need to be on 40m? and didn?t because I wasn?t
doing a SB40, this was SOAB. Looking back even before it was over I knew those
were the times to jump back to 40 and raise the rate, even for short periods of
time.
*There is so much more information to discuss and look into, but I?m in KH6 and
it?s time to head to the beach.
More information will be posted on my website, or email me and I?d be happy to
chat a bit more about this years contest.
This is certainly the best part of the world for radio, or very close to it, in
my opinion. There is just nothing like tuning 160 and hearing 60 countries on
the air at the same time and the locals being 60db over from EA8, CT3, CN, CT,
EA, D4, 5U5, 6W, etc?
I had a wonderful time. The CQ9K boys are gracious hosts and very interested in
making my contest and experience memorable. Each and every member took a little
piece of time from their lives to visit and make sure I was doing great!
Also, thanks for many friends who ?hung out? on my frequencies to say KB, BF,
and other encouraging words: K9PG, K7SS, KL9A, & those WWYC boys. Also to EA8ZS
who acted as a beacon throughout the contest. I always knew what bands to be on
by keeping you in my sights!
I certainly will return to that region again and again looking for the perfect
conditions we all chase.
Until next year? 73 and Obrigado de KL2A/KH6
More information on this operation, stats, audio clips, pictures, WWW.KL2A.COM
Email me if you have any info to add or discuss. Thanks.
ATTENTION CQ9K & CT9L Team Members:
Please email me images from 2003 or 2004 operations, I?d like to post them on my
website. Thanks.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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