CQWW WPX Contest, SSB
Call: P49Y
Operator(s): AE6Y
Station: P49Y
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 36
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80:
40: 267
20: 890
15: 1615
10: 2339
------------
Total: 5111 Prefixes = 1355 Total Score = 21,658,320
Club: Northern California Contest Club
Comments:
The amazing conditions translated for me into a more difficult contest
experience and a lower score than the last time I did this contest, in 2012.
There were two adverse factors: First was the wall of EU QRM that made it
difficult to find and keep a clear frequency. Second was the fact that since
the US and EU could work each other at all hours on the high bands, our usual
late afternoon high-rate US runs were much weaker than normal.
I also made an unfortunate tactical choice to start out on 20 as in the past.
After several hours battling it out on that band, I worked 8P5A on 40, who gave
me a number that was literally 50% higher than mine. When asked how he did it,
Tom replied that he had started on 10. Oh well, if these condx ever return in
our lifetimes, I'll know better...
Related to the EU QRM issue is the tendency of many EUs to overdrive their
processors, which leads to audio distortion and splatter on adjacent
frequencies. Even the K3's superb filtering can't remove splatter that really
is in the passband. I kept asking one guy for repeats while guessing at his
call. Finally giving up in disgust, I returned to the pileup, whereupon
someone said: "Not even close!" The audio problems seem worse on
southern EU stations; in contrast virtually without exception UK and JA
stations had clean audio that could be understood even at very low signal
levels.
Thanks to all for the very impressive worldwide participation in this
contest. It was truly exciting to work 75 JAs (a very high total from here),
not to mention VUs on both 10 and 15 sounding like locals, and lots of other
interesting DX. Congratulations to neighbors P40W (W2GD) for a great LP score,
and P43A for a similar effort on SB15. As usual, thanks also to W6LD and W0YK
for all their recent efforts in station maintenance and upgrades to the house
and station. Everything (except the operator) worked fine.
Station:
K3x2, Alpha 91B
2 el 40, 4 el. 20, 5 el. 15, 2 el. 10, C31, beverages
CQPWIN software
73, Andy, AE6Y, P49Y
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