CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW
Call: P40W
Operator(s): W2GD
Station: P40W
Class: SOAB(A) LP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 41
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 188 16 43
80: 535 21 88
40: 996 29 112
20: 1124 34 116
15: 1053 28 105
10: 179 16 21
------------------------------
Total: 4075 144 485 Total Score = 7,512,147
Club: Frankford Radio Club
Comments:
Station:
K3/P3 @ 100W + Win-Test Logging Software
Antennas: 160M vert dipole, 3el 80m wire beam EU
4 el 40m wire beam EU, Force 12 C3, Force 12 C31XR, Force 12 Delta 240
Beverage Antennas NE, NW, E/W, N/S
Their is an advantage to operating from Aruba on both CQWW PH and CW each year
- the physical burden of station setup and repairs occurs in October and not
November. I returned to Aruba early last week with very little station setup
to do and more time to observe band openings and some on the air practice.
Contests are often won by being on the right band at the right time so
understanding propagation trends is always a high priority prep item for me.
Particular emphasis during a declining sunspot cycle is given to better
understanding what to expect on ten meters.
Conditions on Wednesday and Thursday were much better than the weekend. A
shame we don't have a little time machine so we could have shifted everything
48 hours.
At the start 20M became useless in just 20 minutes. This came as somewhat of a
surprise but confirmed the VOCAP prediction. Having to slug it out with the
crowd on 40 almost immediately damaged my rate expectations and performance.
The emphasis on the lower bands the first night left my contact total down
about 150 contacts after just 8 hours ... I'd never recover that shortfall the
rest of the way.
Conditions on 160 both nights were OK but there was clearly absorption in play
and working anyone in EU from here running low power was a terrible struggle.
I gave up trying to call the louder EU stations, choosing instead to CQ and let
those who could hear me call in. This strategy seemed to have some limited
success. Over the course of the weekend I left at least 25 top band
multipliers on the table not having more RF power.
The second night on 80 meters was one of the all time best from this QTH in 20
years. There were absolutely ZERO static crashes which made listening on the 3
ele wire beam aimed at EU possible (and preferred)... a QRN free night is a very
rare event at this location where evening t-storms are normally seen nearly
every night 150 miles to my south in the YV mountains. The EU run was a real
joy and something to be remembered.
Spotlight propagation was to be the order of the weekend on ten meters. There
were very short bursts of E-skip that if you weren't paying careful attention
were easily missed. It was disappointing the hoped for robust openings to the
USA didn't materialize either day - something that normally pads LP/QRP QSO
totals from here.
After fighting hard to recover from the slow start over the first 36 hours, by
Sunday morning I'd come nearly even with last year's performance only to have
conditions on 15 meters come crashing down. The hoped for extended EU run and
enhanced prop to the USA just were not there. Again, the contest would have
been better if it had taken place 48 hours earlier.
Finished up this year's edition of CQWW CW with a burst of multipliers in the
last 15 minutes. My revised goal of 7.5M was reached but just barely.
There was no shortage of socializing on this visit to Aruba. The entire P4
operating contingent got together and enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at the Hilton
Hotel Thursday evening. Immediately after the contest Sunday night a pizza
party with the P40L M/2 team was a great way to decompress (and the pizza
tasted fabulous after a weekend of contest food). Last night the entire
visiting Aruba contest community got together once again for a somewhat
traditional departure dinner.
The competition in M/S, M/2, and SO may have reached something of an all time
high this year. The amount of time and effort to prepare these highly
automated stations, particularly in Zone 33, is nothing short of spectacular
and every team warrants our congratulations for their efforts.
In single op, the battle of the dueling CQers rages on. This time propagation
and the three point advantage apparently has rewarded Jose at CR3OO just enough
advantage to win ... bravo OM! Kiddos to Chris at TI7W for breaking through the
10,000 QSO barrier - propagation was your friend. ZF2MJ made a valiant effort
but being prop challenged was the luck of the draw this time. One wonders what
the results of this close competition would have been with the addition of 8P5A
and V47T to this mix. Congrats to the team on St. Kitts for their herculean
station rebuild this week following this fall's Caribbean hurricanes ...
exceptionally impressive work!
On a personal note, I want to thank many of you for your continuing encouraging
words and support over the past two years as I've battled metastatic melanoma
cancer. I'm so happy to still be here to enjoy and seriously compete in the
sport I love so much and hoping my current remission status continues for many
years in the future. This is my 30th year operating from Aruba - and looking
forward to many more.
No message here would be complete without thanking CQ for continuing their
sponsorship of the CQWW - and the WWROF for their behind the scenes support
that makes this all possible.
And finally, god bless my Aruban hosts Corry and Humphrey for being so
thoughtful and supportive the past 21 years ... you have been a huge part of my
success.
73,
John, W2GD @ P40W
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|