CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB
Call: P40W
Operator(s): W2GD
Station: P40W
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 43
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 99 10 23
80: 572 19 73
40: 546 25 85
20: 1692 35 105
15: 1564 35 105
10: 3356 33 110
------------------------------
Total: 7740 157 501 Total Score = 15,086,624
Club: Frankford Radio Club
Comments:
SO1R Station: IC756ProII, Acom 2000A, Win-Test Software
Antennas: F12 C31XR @ 60 feet, Cushcraft Rotatable 40M Dipole @ 68', 3 ele 80
and 4 el 40M wire beams toward EU at 55 feet. 160/80 inverted V @ 60', 160
Vertical Dipole. Four beverages, 800' NE, 450' NW, 500 feet N/S, 500 feet E/W
+ Ameco Nuvistor Cascode Preamp. All manual antenna switching using 50 year
old B&W coax switches.
COMMENTS
This contest managed to make a diehard CW guy like me think phone operation can
be fun, the attraction was RATE and more RATE. I've done roughly 45 CQWW
operations from here - and this one was my best SOAB HP score ever from here.
There was ragte everywhere...it was difficult to select the right band to be on
to maximize and balance both rate and mults. The only downside this weekend
were 160 and 80. There seemed to be very high absorption on 160 (only heard 3
EU stations all weekend) and both bands exhibited the effects of very active
t-storms nearby in YV-land to my south (tonight listening to 160, its a very
quiet S-5 and both EU and NA signals are strong...go figure). So sorry if I
seemed I was deaf on 160....the truth was I just couldn't hear. Hopefully
we'll have great low band condx on the WW CW weekend.
Its nice to arrive several days before a contest. The setup work can be spread
out over several days, there's somewhat less time pressure, etc. If you've read
my contest stories over the years you know P40W is not a plug and play
operation.....it requires some strenuous work to make the station play. And
this time play it really did!
Monday Day One: Flight arrives on-time. Grab lunch and some groceries before
arriving at th station about 4 p.m. Spend the two available hours until dark
running in the coax lines for the three antennas on the main tower, extend out
the 160/80 inverted V wires that are suspended across a road onto an adjoining
propery, and evaluating the status of other antennas. Only major problem seems
to be a dangling wire that used to be the 160 vertical diople. Check SWR
curves, all seems well. Run some loud W and JA stns on 10M about 00Z running
just 100W. Go to dinner. When I return 10M is still wide open to JA at 1 a.m.
local, haven't heard condx this good since about 2004.
Tuesday Day Two: Its not possible to be competitve here without low noise RX
antennas. Normally there are three or four beverages that I try to have in
working order. Since my last visit here in May, the landscape has again
changed, and new cacti and thorn tree obstructions have emerged to make life
difficut. Spent nine hours on Tuesday clearing obstructive plant growth,
laying nearly 800 feet of feedlines, and either stringing or repairing beverage
wires. I'm fortunate to have the room for beverages here.....but one pays the
price installing and maintaining them. On a positive note, this time there
were no feedline connector or transformer issues and all four bev. antennas
really worked. Another evening out to dinner, and back to work more DX.
Worked XU7ACY on 10m LP at 2 a.m. local time with just 100W. I find this stuff
stil amazing after 50 years of hamming.
Wednesday - Day Three: Repair and or install wire antenna day.
Site obstructions make this always challenging and requires pleny of walking -
there is no such thing as a straight-line stroll between points A and B. In
critical locations and directions undergrowth was cleared to facilitate
stringing the seven elements of 40 and 80 meter wire beams that are interlaced
on a 130 foot rope boom. I've done this task alone nearly 30 times since 1999,
so I know it will take 4 hours and about 800 feet of nylon string. But the
payback - being loud on 40 and 80 to EU is a powerful incentive to keep me at
it even when its most uncomfortable (it always seems the wind dies down on days
when it would be most welcomed). Besides the 40 and 80 wires, I also put a
director in front of the 40M rotatable dipole to have 2 elements to the
states...5 db gain for almost no effort. Finally tackled the 160M vertical
problem. The tower is so rusted I won't climb much past the first guy
set...luck with me, with a broom I was able to grab the dangling wire and get
it untwisted from the upper guy. Too bad 160 ended up being terrible over the
weekend. After a flare condx seemed punk today.
Thursday Day 4 - Goof Off Day
With the antenna work essentially completed I played radio for several hours,
marveling how good conditions were compared to the past 7 years. Got on 12 and
17 meters to give out the country for the deserving....and fine tuned some of
the wire beam element placements. Low stress, low physical effort day.
Stopped by to say hi to W5AJ/P40P after dinner.
Friday Day 5 - Final Checks and Lunch
With the contest now just hours away, kept away from any sort of physical
exertion. Spent a few hours calibrating the new Prosistel 61D and Green Heron
controller that I'd be installing at P49MR on Monday. Had a hi carb lunch with
P40P, and went home for a full 3 hour nap during the afternoon. The two hours
before the contest were spent making small creature comfort and ergonomic
tweaks. I was ready! Keeping eye on a Noreaster developing back home.
CQWW PH Day One
Following advice from W2SC/8P5A, started on 15M. Unfortunately condx quickly
faided and 25 mins later headed to 20M where the rate was much better...a 275
first hour. The next hour would be my best all weekend, 337 qsos, mostly
stateside with some Asia, EU and SA in the mix. That was a rush. Stayed on 20
for another 285 hour.
At 0400 decided I needed to get down to 160M and 75M for mults. Found condx
noisy on both bands. After a few quick mults on 160 headed to 80. EU stations
weren't booming but dug a hole and CQd with the 3el yagi for a 140 hour. Headed
back to 160 on the hour for 2 more mults, then down to 20/40/80 for sprints.
Finally spent an hour on 40M at 0500. After the contest I could see I should
have spent more time there. The next several hours until sunrise were spent
cycling through 40/80/160 but the rates were only in the 140 range...
At dawn skipped 20M and went to 15 which was already hot toward EU and the NEA.
Got the rate machine cranking up for the next 11 hours, averaging around a
steady 250 an hour with 310 and 300 hours in the mix. This was the classic 'no
meters like 10 meters' scenario.....it was terrific! Finally at 18z moved to
15M for more rate, the JA and the states....rate stays around 280. Finished
off the first day cycling between 15/20/40...mults seemed a little low but at
00Z had 4800 qsos, a very slick 200/hour. Readjusted my original goals upward
some and continued on.
I always seem to suffer a letdown after all the daytime action and Sunday would
no exception. Physically I'm getting tired and my tongue hurts. Started using
the voice keyer more and more. But the rates fall back into the 120 range, I
could seemed to get traction on 40M and conditions on 80 and 160 were still in
the dumps. Finally at 0600 decided I needed some sleep to be able to cope with
the high rates that would start at daylight. Ended up sleeping for 4.5 hours,
my head on the desk!
It was off to the races. The last 12 hours the rate was a nice steady 190 to
220 per hour, with a 260 at 21z on ten meters to the states. Throughout the day
I attempted to move mults between 10/15/20. This was 80% successful and paid
off in totals at the end. Closed out the contest on 20M, and was rewarded with
B3C calling in for a double and in the final 15 seconds, PJ4T called for my last
QSO and 501st country.
After calling home and hearing about the snow storm, loss of power, etc. headed
off to the traditional post-contest dinner with P40A and P40P. Managed to
stagger home and finally crash.....
WOW what a weekend.....with condx like this phone can actually be fun. Thanks
to everyone for all the contacts and hope we can all do it once again for CQWW
CW. P40W will be QRV November 22 - December 1. QSL via LOTW or N2MM.
73,
John W2GD
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