[CQ-Contest] WPX Spot Analysis (NT5C)

[Jim George <n3bb@mindspring.com>]

In the "For What It's Worth" department.

NT5C was spotted 25 times during the 36 hours I was operating during the 
2004 WPX CW contest.  The spots data were taken from the OH2AQ cluster 
after the contest.  In order to see what impact, if any, the spots 
produced, I counted the number of contacts in the ten minute period before 
the spot and the ten minute after the spot.  Interestingly, only six of the 
twenty five spots were from stations I could identify from the log.  Others 
were stations who spotted me but didn't work me, or who had worked me 
before, or perhaps "regular" call signs rather than the "WPX" calls being 
used.  None of the spotters were local (Central Texas).  Two ( both K5NZ) 
were in Texas.  The country locations were as following:

USA       17
Canada     3
Italy          2
Japan        1
UK           1
Belgium   1

The average number of QSOs in the "pre-spot" period was 9.6, and the 
average number in the "post-spot" period was 12.8, for an increase of 3.2 
QSOs, or more significantly 33%.

In the first portion of the contest, the increased rate was more 
pronounced.  In the last twelve hours, some of the post-spot rates actually 
were lower.  I suppose the supply of new stations to work was getting smaller.

In general, I think this supports the use of "WPX" prefixes, as they get 
spotted more than "plain Jane" prefixes, and the spots do result in 
increased activity immediately following the spot.

Jim George N3BB (operator of NT5C)

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