CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB
Call: VK4MA
Operator(s): VK4MA
Station: VK4MA
Class: SOSB(A)/10 HP
QTH: qg64kb
Operating Time (hrs): 35
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15:
10: 5002 39 147
------------------------------
Total: 5002 39 147 Total Score = 2,781,980
Club:
Comments:
This was my first ever serious shot at CQWW after 30 previous years of simply
chasing DX in the contest. I operated single band 10 metres, one operator, with
dx cluster and the ocassional soothing beverage from my XYL.
I started 15 minutes late due to an antenna hiccup but had no other technical
issues throughout.
Half way through the contest I set myself the goal of trying to break the 5000
qso mark and this kept me striving right through to the final minutes - I just
made it with 5002 (4934 afer dupe deduction).
The pileups to the USA were never ending and the US ops were fantastic in
aiding my qso speed. The qso rate to JA was a bit disappointing - never any
more than 3 or 4 callers from JA at any one time.
The path to JA coincided with amazing conditions to PY land and the steppir 180
degree button came into its own here. I must have logged about 50 PYs which is
very unusual on any band for us here in VK.
Working Europe presented its usual challenges - the EU ops were great - but the
commercial QRM from Asia when the EU path is open is now horrendous and creates
about an s7 noise floor across the band.
The only zone missed was 40 and this was the only area of the world not
workable from VK4 despite their being plenty of activity from the TF boys at
what should be our prime time. We need even higher SFI for this path to open.
The highlight for me was working the boys in FP land (country number 321 for me
on 10 metres)and the first FP heard on 10 metres in over 30 years of activity.
The strength of the PY signals was also a highlight.
My inaugural Helen Keller Award for the worst station in the contest is awarded
to pj6t who were consistently s9 here but could not hear me despite them cqing
into any empty frequency. Their signal was also breaking up horribly and
dropping off their zone exchange - fortunately this was not a big problem as
they could not hear anyone to exchange with anyway.
Plenty of great ops but st2ar always amazes me with his ability to pull out VK
callers against the s9 EU wall.
Not sure if I will ever do it again but at least I can now die knowing that I
can make 5000 qsos in a CQWW which is a total I have always viewed as being at
the elite end of a 2 day contest. It is a thrill to be able to do it from home
and also on my favourite band.
Thanks to all who called and apologies to those who I may have been rude to in
the final minutes when the goal of reaching 5000 Qs was looking a bit shakey -
I stopped logging dupes half way through the test so the constant dupe callers
in the final hours were not helping my 5000 Q goal.
My only area of confusion was what to do with callers who give you the wrong
exchange - I had quite a few US stations gave me 59 01 or 59 02 when they were
clearly not in Alaska or Zone 2. I do not see it as my role to tell them what
their exchange should be as it is impossible for me to tell anyway. In the end
I made the qso but did not log them - this may have added 20 or more qsos to my
total but would also have slowed down by QSO rate significantly if I had stopped
and tried to explain to them the correct exchange.
As I had one US guy give me an exchange of 5x9 30 I can only assume that he had
worked 29 stations previous to me who also had not corrected his exchange.
For me this is an area in the contest rules that needs some work - I have made
a valid qso if I copy the exchange but if log a US station giving me 59 40 this
will count as a zone 40 mult and artifically increase my score. What to do?
Cheers and 73
Paul - vk4ma
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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