CQWW WPX Contest, SSB
Call: W6QU
Operator(s): W8QZA
Station: W8QZA
Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: San Diego, CA
Operating Time (hrs): 24.7
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 4
40: 29
20: 59
15: 165
10: 50
------------
Total: 307 Prefixes = 235 Total Score = 183,065
Club: Southern California Contest Club
Comments:
STATION:
Radio: Elecraft K-2, 5 Watts.
Antennas:
10-15-20 Meters: 3 el Stepp-IR up 32 feet
40 Meters: DX-LB trap dipole up 30 feet
40-80 Meters: Butternut HF-2V Vertical with 3 radials
-------------------------------------------------------
I can never remember this contest being on Easter weekend, but I suppose it has
happened before. I was able to do Friday evening and Saturday like a regular
contest and logged 17 hrs of op time in the first 24. But after that, family
activities took over and I was only able to log 7 more hours of op time. I'm
sure I won't regret this on my death bed.....!!
Conditions out here in San Diego: I never heard a European station on 10
Meters. In fact, I couldn't hear any signals on 10 M until about 18:00 Z both
days!
There was a large, slow QSB on many DX stations on 15 and 10 Meters. On many
stations I desperately hoped to complete my number before the deep fade set in.
A number of times, that "fade" made me lose a multiplier!
On Saturday night, I heard the best opening on 20 M that I have ever heard in
25 years. Two different A6's, two A7's an A9, two 9K's, and two 4L's, and a
number of zone 16-17-18, all with S-9+ signals. All within an hour or so. Of
course, it takes power to work that stuff, but I was delighted to end up with
4L0A and a few UA9's.
My best Q of the contest was 4L0A on 20 SSB in that opening, giving me the very
difficult zone 21 for the year.
10 M: I found and easily worked A31MM calling CQ.
15 M: BD7BM, 4O3A, and SX9C.
20 M: UP2L and 4L0A.
40 M: Nothing special. I did get a number of USA mults thanks to the patience
of a bunch of ops in copying my sig.
80 M: KH6J gave me my only 5 band station!
DXCC was 61 and WAZ was 28 in those 24.7 hours. I did not CQ, though I often do
when I operate the full 32 hours since I can pick up some USA mults that way.
Only 13% of my Qs were in Europe this year compared to 21% last year, so the
cycle is taking its toll.
Murphy passed by me this year, as he usually does. He doesn't seem to bother
QRP stations very much!
See you in WPX CW! 73, ....Bill W8QZA - W6QU
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