CQWW WPX Contest, CW
Call: KQ2M
Operator(s): KQ2M
Station: KQ2M
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 22.5
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 150
40: 890
20: 849
15: 164
10: 0
------------
Total: 2053 Prefixes = 812 Total Score = 5,870,760
Club: Frankford Radio Club
Comments:
Due to severe medical problems I missed the 2013 - 2015 WPXCW contests. I was
eagerly looking forward to finally being well enough to participate in the 2016
event even though cndx were going to be marginal at best.
With a 3L wire beam that was finally working properly on 40, I had a great
start with the last 10 minute rates frequently > 200 / hr. and the last 100
rates climbing into the 130+ range. The 00z hour of 136 followed by hours of
119, 111 and 115 qsos, and 481 qsos after 4 hours, was my best start ever on 40
in WPXCW. Unfortunately 20 shut down early and I was forced to stay on 40 as
the signals on 80 were not very good. I was puzzled by the fact that it seemed
that almost every station I worked asked me to repeat my number. This slowed
down my rates considerably especially when combined with the high qrn at my
qth. After working a few Pacific stations after 0545z and the arrival of
daylight in Europe, I decided to qrt at 0624z and save my ontime.
20 sounded promising at 1026z when I got on again but the JA stations were
almost non-existent. After more walk than run, at 1054z the propagation
onswitch was flipped and signals came up 2 s-units. But cndx were still
marginal - even the DL stations had some auroral flutter on them. 15 refused
to open to EU until 1230z, shortly after 20 really began to open to Russia.
But even that was short-lived as 15 closed up again and 20 began to shutdown to
EU. No point in wasting valuable operating time on this. Offtime became a
necessity when my S9 line noise returned. Apparently the EU and Russians were
also having trouble copying me as the requests for repeats of my number were
constant - in between having many stations cq on top of me.
At 1650z I got back on 20 where the EU and Russian stations were loud now on
both 15 and 20, but there were only a few of them and the rate suffered in the
70 - 80 range. In the 19z hour, 15 finally started to come alive but there
were not that many stations on so I had to repeatedly alternate between 15 and
20, occasionally using the 2nd radio to make qsos in between cqs.
The 1.5 kc wide two-tone signal of SN8B was really obnoxious as it made it
almost impossible to copy anything in a 3 kc wide slot. With the line noise
plaguing me plus the qrn and the apparent qrn in Europe, every qso became a
battle although in the 21z and 22z hours signals finally became loud enough to
work through the qrn and line noise with 104 and 125 hours on 20 respectively.
At 2318z I qsyed to 40, which was open but with the same qrn problems on both
sides of the pond. By 0030z the rate picked up as 20 was almost dead and there
was nowhere else to go. At 0108z I went to 80 even though signals were marginal.
It was now or never for me on 80. I did not want to make the same mistake
again and miss the opening that I gave up on Friday night. The pileup was
immediate - apparently a lot of other loud EU stations were just listening and
calling others rather than cqing. At 0144z I passed the halfway point - 18
hours operated and had 1776 x 748 for 4.647 meg. This was a pretty good score
given the lousy cndx with almost no JA stations in the log and practically no
prefix hunting. I projected about 11 meg from this score and quite possibly 12
meg if 15 really opened the next day, which would be an all-time high for me.
While I was running on 80, 20 began to open to Russia. By now I had taken most
of my offtime and would be able to continue to run. Things were looking up!
Unfortunately, N1RR decided to call cq 100 hz above me. With his s9+20 signal,
there was no possible way that he did not hear me. I asked him to qsy. He
then slid down on my run freq. and called cq again. Again, I asked him to qsy,
losing this EU caller and the EU caller before while I chased him away. Again I
tried to get the stations report. Now, yet another cq from N1RR about 75 hz
below me. It was apparent by now that the N1RR operator had absolutely no
interest in listening to see if the freq. was in use before cqing, no did he
care whether about the impact of his intentional qrm. Eventually he moved off
and then proceeded to cq on top of another station another 100 hz down. What a
lid!
The 80 meter run continued for another 45 minutes after which I qsyed to 40.
Then at 0253z 20 was wide open but there was no volume. I ran until 0343z when
most of the EU stations were taking off-time and getting sleep. Back to run on
40 at 0346z with a marginal 60 per hour rate. At 04z signals and the rate
began to pick up, but about 0413z, the same obnoxious opr. at N1RR repeated his
80 meter pattern on 40. First cq 100 hz above me. I asked him nicely to qsy.
Then cq directly on top of me. I again ask him to qsy. Then cq about 75 hz
below me. I again ask him to qsy. Nope. not this time. The N1RR continued to
endlessly call cq. Didn't matter that I constantly asked him to qsy or that he
was 100 hz above the station below him who was also asking him to qsy. None of
that mattered. N1RR just continued to call cq and cq and cq and cq. I could
not believe this ongoing display of some of the worst operating and poor
sportsmanship that I have ever seen in any contest. There was little doubt it
was the same operator. I went back to running through the N1RR INTENTIONAL
qrm.
Then at 0545z, I had an acute attack of a severe medical problem affecting my
hearing and causing me excruciating pain. I tried to continue operating with
othe headphones on one ear. I went to 20 where there was a lower noise level
and reduced signal strengths but it was impossible to continue. I had to
immediately qrt.
I set my alarm for 0930z just in case the problem lessened and I could continue
to operate. I woke up at 08z from the intensity of the pain in my right ear.
There would be no more contest.
After the contest I checked the DX Summit spots and could see how well 15
meters opened. By 0930z, I would have used up all my offtime except for one
hour, allowing me to get on for the 20 meter opening and stay on the radio all
day running on 15 and 20 and then 40 with far better cndx on Sunday than on
Saturday, including a very good opening to Japan with another 100 potential
prefixes! I had crafted the perfect ontime and offtime strategy - very hard to
do for WPXCW - but then was prevented from operating by a severe medical issue.
It was quite frustrating!
I had a lot of fun operating and it was wonderful to say hello to so many
friends. Thanks for the qsos and prefixes and hopefully I will see you all
next year.
73
Bob KQ2M
kq2m@kq2m.com
www.rlsfinancialgroup.com
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