CQWW WPX - CW
Call: ZC4DW
Operator(s):
Station:
Class: SOAB LP
QTH: ESBA
Operating Time (hrs): 35:54
Summary:
Band QSOs Prefixes
-------------------------------
160: 2
80: 70
40: 380
20: 700
15: 1000
10: 460
-------------------------------
Total: 2612 x 678 = 5,415,864
Club: CDXC - Chiltern DX Club
Comments:
I treated WPX this year as a testing ground, hence the low score.
Contesting with just a single antenna - wire doublet - is like working
with one hand tied behind your back. I made a minor improvement on the
antenna the day before WPX, raising it from the previous height of
8m to 10m above ground with the kind help of Steve, ZC4BS.
We managed to put a nice kink into the scaffold pole whilst
getting the mast it into the vertical position.
The antenna seems to have improved on 40m a shade, but it still goes
like a rocket on 15m. That was important because 15m seemed the
band to be in WPX.
Some other gear was also being tested, Writelog, and the FT-1000mp
(first time I've used it in a CW test). Pleased to say both of them
worked like a dream.
You have to really study band openings when working with a single antenna,
as band changing with roller-inductor ATU's is time consuming.
W6EL propagation software was consulted and a band plan was drawn up
before the contest. The W6EL software was absolutely spot on by the way.
12 hours into the contest and the plan went out of the window as a migraine
struck. The second break was enforced and taken at a bad time. No amount
of pain-killers dealt with the issue, and the migraine was finally relieved
by taking caffeine in the form of plenty of coffee. I felt excellent for
the rest of the contest despite being forced to do a longish 20 hour
final session.
10m never truly got going; there was sporadic-E to Europe both days. On Sunday
it opened to the States for a while but nothing spectacular.
15m was fantastic, I should have done SO15 LP as it was open 36 hours,
(in fact it was open 48 hours).
20m was good also, especially to JA. Those JA boys gave me some good
pile-ups on 20m although they count 1 point.
40m fairly good - I wanted to hit 40m hard for the EU 6 pointers, but
it was a trade-off between getting JA / USA mults on the higher bands
during the darkness hours.
80m seemed lively on the 2 brief visits I made on that band.
160m - hit Top Band with 10 minutes of the contest remaining and
managed to surprise a 4X, an LY, and myself.
Highlight, was getting called by VP8NO - Falklands, several KL7's,
AH2R, KH8/N5OLS and some old friends.
Fortunately, to the Asians big-guns - your HP records are safe, as we
don't have any plans for a beam or any QRO at ZC4 Eastern SBA.
(It would be fun though)!
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