CQWW WPX Contest, SSB
Call: ND0C
Operator(s): ND0C
Station: ND0C
Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: MN
Operating Time (hrs): 15
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 15
40: 108
20: 154
15: 42
10: 8
------------
Total: 327 Prefixes = 204 Total Score = 126,480
Club: Minnesota Wireless Assn
Comments:
This is one of my favorite contests, but the conditions this year really made it
a struggle, especially running QRP. 20 seemed to open very late into EU and it
was never very good from here either day. 15 yielded some contacts to the south
as well as a couple VKs and a ZL but the QSB was nasty. I was surprised by the
little opening on 10 on Saturday, but didn't hear anything there on Sunday when
I checked.
All in all it was tough going. I was only able to work a total of 40 countries
and never heard Japan - maybe I was just trying at the wrong time. With these
types of conditions I just feel like I don't know what band to be on to catch a
brief opening.
It seems to me that the unruly pile-up behavior, most notably calling on top of
other stations in response to a partial call, is worse in the WPX than I recall
in the WW or ARRL DX. Not sure why that would be. At one point TG9ANF
expressed his exasperation when he was trying to get my full call through the
others calling on top of me: "There must be a hundred stations with 'Zero
Charlie' in their call!"
On a similar note V31VP had a huge pile-up on 20 late Sunday afternoon and
called for "the VA3" but several stations continued to call (as is the
norm, unfortunately). He finally said "I'm trying to work a weak station
and if you guys keep calling I'm never going to do it". To which one of
the strong stations that had been calling over the VA3 sarcastically remarked
"Whatever...", as if he was entitled to just tromp on the weak
station. "Might makes right" I guess. I just don't get it.
As always, thanks to the stations with the good ears, patience and persistence
to pull out my tiny signal. It continues to amaze me what five watts can do
with a good operator on the other end! I still love the magic of radio!
73,
Randy, ND0C
Transceiver: Yaesu FTDX3000 running 5 watts
Antennas: Cycle 24 TX38 triband Yagi at 40 feet, Cushcraft D40 rotatable 40
meter dipole at 42 feet, inverted vee with apex at 39 feet
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