CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW
Call: G9W
Operator(s): M0DXR
Station: G3LDI
Class: SOSB/15 HP
QTH: Swardeston
Operating Time (hrs): 28
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15: 2382 40 131
10:
------------------------------
Total: 2382 40 131 Total Score = 913,995
Club:
Comments:
With just a few days before the contest, I had to pull out of joining K3LR in
PA, USA for the wonder Multi-Multi battle. This is due to a health issue (which
I am hoping is minor) and being advised not to travel by my doctor. So at short
notice, Roger G3LDI allowed me to come up to his wonderful QTH in Swardeston,
Norfolk, to do a somewhat reduced effort operation. I needed to get rest, so
quickly decided not to do an all band entry. Propagation seemed good for the
high bands, but with a reducing SFI all week I felt like 10m could be unsteady
so decided to go for 15m (as it happens, 10m seemed quite good from the
reports).
I drove up to Norfolk on Friday, arriving about 5pm. Roger already had the
station ready to go so I got the logging programme sorted. I downloaded
wintest, decided to pay the £17 for version 4, and it all worked 100% first
time.
I went to bed at 10pm and got a good 7.5 hours before the alarm sounded at
5:30am. I went to the shack and could already hear some signals coming through
on the band. Lots of nice mults to work at the start. I started CQing about
6am, and got called by 3B8 which was a nice surprise. Much DX followed,
including a lovely opening to JA. I did not expect to work so many JAs. Very
fine signals from the Far East, and plenty of activity. Not too many VKs or
ZLs, but got some for the mult credit.
The band stayed open all day, with the expected USA run later in the day.
Lovely to hear a huge signal from my K3LR buddies with that 4 high stack! Lots
of UK activity: Big signals, even on 15m, from M6T (G4BUO), G6PZ, G5W, M6W,
M3D, GM4X, GM5A, G4MKR etc etc. Dave at M6T had a very strange sounding signal.
He was only about 50 miles or so away, but due to reflections and ground wave,
it sounded almost unreadable! I too noticed some strange effects. I got a video
recording of a 'triple' echo on my own signal. Yes, I could hear it coming back
to me 3 TIMES after de-keying. I'd be interested to know if anyone has thoughts
on where the RF could have been travelling to before coming back to me! The
first reflection was the loudest, followed by the second, followed by the 3rd
which was quite weak (some of the keying only produced 2 echos, others 3). I
noticed this mainly when working JA in the morning on our sunrise.
I have to thank Stewart GM4AFF for the mult from Shetland as GZ3F. He called me
with a super signal - and it was a lovely surprise!
I was very happy with the zone multiplier progress. I managed to work all 40
zones after 11 hours 30 minutes of being on the air. Zone 1 called me when it
was right in the middle of the KL7 darkness - most strange.
Nice to work Zone 23 quite a few times. JT1DX and JT5DX both making it in the
log, together with a Chinese station in zone 23. Zone 34 is always a tough one
from K3LR. But I got Z81X and also SU9AF which was great.
Nice to hear the G guys down at P3F making lots of noise. I remember going to
5B4AGNs QTH for CQWW SSB last year and having a blast from zone 20.
High rate hours were between 17z and 19z. My last QSO on the Saturday was just
after 21z to zone 8.
The second day saw 15 opening about the same time with some good JA conditions
again. Rate was much slower than the Saturday, understandably. The band closed
much earlier than the previous day with the last QSO at about 19:30z to zone
11. I quickly shut everything down and got the car loaded to head back to
Essex. Then the fun started! Talking to Roger on 2m, he advised me that I'd
left my phone charger. Thankfully I was only half a mile down the road, so back
I went. When I left for the 2nd time, I hit a pot hole and knackered the rear
tyre on the car. So, back I went again and Roger kindly lended a hand. He had a
flood light which aided seeing to get the damn thing fixed! Spare tyre on, and
off I set for the 3rd time! This time was successful. Home, nice hot bath, and
bed!
What a great weekend. Such a wonderful event. Many thanks to Roger for keeping
me well fed and watered. Amazing host. Together with me operating, he and other
members of the Norfolk ADARC in his home practicing morse as part of the CW
Boot
Camp. There were about 10 guys in the house learning whilst I was contesting in
the next room. Yes, both days! It's thanks to people like Roger that we have a
future for CW. What amazing ambassadors for Amateur Radio.
Thank you all for the QSOs - see you in the next contest! For me, this will be
the RSGB AFS CW Contest in January where I will be guest op at G3RGS. The next
major HF event will surely be ARRL DX CW in February. Not sure where from yet!
73!
Mark Haynes, M0DXR (G9W)
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