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[3830] WPX SSB 9M2RPN(GM4YXI) SO(TS)AB HP

To: 3830@contesting.com, k.kerr@abdn.ac.uk
Subject: [3830] WPX SSB 9M2RPN(GM4YXI) SO(TS)AB HP
From: webform@b4h.net
Reply-to: k.kerr@abdn.ac.uk
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2004 04:56:09 -0700
List-post: <mailto:3830@contesting.com>
                    CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: 9M2RPN
Operator(s): GM4YXI
Station: 9M2RPN

Class: SO(TS)AB HP
QTH: Kuala Lumpur
Operating Time (hrs): 36

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:    8
   40:  258
   20:  821
   15: 1653
   10:  638
------------
Total: 3378  Prefixes = 866  Total Score = 7,173,078

Club: 

Comments:

I am grateful to Sangat, 9M2SS  and Richard, 9M2/G4ZFE for the opportunity to
return to the station at the National Planetarium and Microsatellite Lab in
Kuala Lumpur, after a successful outing in the M2 category in last year?s CQ WPX
SSB contest. Richard and I had a little antenna work, station arranging and
testing to do on Friday afternoon in preparation for another M2 effort and all
seemed well. The C3S is a considerable improvement on the ?crocked? TH3 and the
Inv-VEEs for 40m and 80m seemed to work well. Contest start is at 0800z local on
Saturday morning, which is very civilised. Our plan was to run one station
predominantly on 20m and the other on the other bands (no 160m antenna) and
merge the logs at the end. There would be no dupe checking between stations
since we were unable to network our laptops but we figured we would be running
most of the time. 
I started on 15m as the only band with any QSO potential and had a 170 hour
which proved to be my best of the weekend, mostly to JA with some other Asia and
a few left-coast NAs. And so I continued until 0430, with falling rates, the
only notable event being a call from Doug, K1DG at 0410z to tell me I was loud
on LP 15m. I had worked a couple of stations with ?1? calls about 20 mins before
but was beaming NE from 9M2 (short path to NA). Doug was much louder with the
C3S beaming SW but only one more ?east coast? station appeared before I quit for
10m at 0430z. Pity?.seems there was definite potential for some nice mults,
which I never did work.
10m was barely open but there was better rate than the faltering supply on 15m
and JA and a few Eastern Eu were workable with vicious QSB. Spent 0610-0745 on
15m again then 10m until the Europeans vanished about 1100z . Most of the 10m
QSOs were ESP strength and the QSB added to the fun! 
The next few hours are always a bit of a problem in 9M2 since there is no band
well open. Rich was making little headway on 20m and having a variety of
equipment problems. 1200z saw a visit to 40m but only a few JAs were workable
together with VE7SV. Surprised W6ANR and W6UC by raising them on 80m around
1230z?..they were loud on the inv VEE at 30ft! Flitted between 15m and 40m until
1445 when an EU run of sorts developed though signals were rarely loud and there
was much QSB and QRN. By 1700z 15m had had it and Rich was unable to continue on
the ?20m? station.
 
A quick break to decide what to do. Rich suggested I continue to operate as SOAB
until the end of the contest. We would approach K6AW after the event to see if
the log would be acceptable as such. 

So, still mulling over this change of plan and what it meant for the remainder
of the weekend, I went to 20m but ran out of steam and QSOs at 1830z. Still
debating on what to do we both crashed-out. I woke a bit later than intended and
was QRV again at 0200z for more or less a repeat of day one in terms of
operating pattern. Occasional visits to 20m produced little. No 15m LP to east
USA. I had to figure out how much time I had left to operate, given the 36hr
restriction with a minimum break period of one hour. None of the few short
breaks I had taken on day one would count. Part of this decision was made for me
by two enforced breaks in the local afternoon due to T-storms and incredible
static. 40m seemed better today and some W6 and 7 were worked split?..I am sure
others called but you have to be loud to be heard among the BC crud. 15m to EU
was reasonable again though without any really strong signals. Rate began to
fall and I was aware of the fact that I had essentially no QSOs on 20m. Went to
20m at 1600z and immediately noticed the rate pick up and signals were at least
5 S points greater than on 15m. Three consecutive 150+ hours certainly helped
the score. It was also very noticeable how my rate fell as the pile-up grew. The
density of the first layer was such that the wall of S9+ noise didn?t give up a
call easily. A different experience from home where higher rates are possible
when an HF band is open to NA since the first layer is less heavily populated
(but there are more layers of guys to work!). Finished 20m at 2000z after a few
sweeps of the band to find some mults and booming signals from my ?antipodes?,
the southern Caribbean. To 40m??.hampered by serious deafness of EU stations!
Worked everyone who could hear me by 2030z. Went to 80m?..some great signals but
few with ears. Congrats to Tine S50A, OH5B (eventually) and SO2R for copying.
Back to 40m but same problem and running was impossible. I was also running out
of time. My original plan was to stop and restart for the last hour or so of the
contest but 20m was wide open and at 2100z I had 40 mins left to operate. I
elected to quit the double points of 40m and S&P 20m for anything. Score-wise
I?m sure this was the best strategy since I worked a few east NA mults which
otherwise I was unlikely to bag. After some huge signals from the Caribbean, I
found W1US with a fluttery but good signal coming short path over the pole.
Several others followed with the S-meter prize shared between KQ2M and WE3C.
Last QSO had to be VE3EJ at 2141z??.my 36 hrs were up.

I quit immediately??it would have been too painful to tune around and find DX I
wasn?t allowed to work! Fell asleep to the calls of the muezzin calling the
faithful to prayer at the National mosque just down the hill from where we
were.

It remains to be seen if this will be acceptable as a SO(TS)AB effort, with the
180 QSOs Richard made put through as a checklog. If not, the entry will be as
M2.

Thanks to everyone for another great ?contest experience?, again to Richard, and
to Sangat, 9M2SS for his hospitality. QSL via 9M2RPN.


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