CQWW WPX Contest, SSB - 2022
Call: WX3B
Operator(s): WX3B WA3AER N8IVN N3FZ WR3R NH7C W3IDT NY3A KC3EMA AK3Z
Station: WX3B
Class: M/M HP
QTH: Maryland
Operating Time (hrs): 48
Summary:
Band QSOs
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160: 71
80: 571
40: 1545
20: 1964
15: 1656
10: 613
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Total: 6420 Prefixes = 1429 Total Score = 22,758,254
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
2022 CQ WPX SSB 3830 SOAPBOX
The return of SUNSPOTS made this an INCREDIBLE event!!
We were treated to late night band openings, particularly 15 & 20 meters,
all day/evening openings on 20, good conditions on 40 & 80, and a constant
opening to the south on 10 – keeping things interesting at all times.
It has been 3 L-O-N-G years since WX3B was a multi-operator entry in this
contest, and we were EXCITED to be back together, finally.
Gary, WR3R and Bob, W3IDT were the two true IRON MEN of the contest – they
were both on campus 100% of the time – and they worked hard keeping the QSOs
coming.
Bob, W3IDT started on 80 – a slow place to start in this contest, however the
later it got, the more interesting it was. Bob was given an unexpected handicap
– I decided to keep the 80-meter station running at about 750 watts the entire
weekend so it behaved nicely with the other stations. Bob’s Friday night
effort yielded an IMPRESSIVE number of QSOs, and at one point he almost caught
up to 40!!
Gary, WR3R could easily be labeled the energizer bunny of this event. He just
keeps going and going, even after making idle threats to quit after European
sunrise. Gary inherited the mosh-pit of the 40-meter simplex operation, and I
spent a few minutes listening to him run through the horrendous QRM. It is
impressive how much tenacity it requires fishing up serial numbers through the
QRM, and Gary simply won’t quite until he knows he is logging everything
correctly.
Bryan, N3FZ – after months of hearing how great a morning band opening can be,
finally experienced a BOOMING 15-meter opening – and he had a great time with
the pileup and helped us establish the beginning of what turned out to be a
SUPERB operating day.
Ted, WA3AER also spend a significant time in front of different bands, and was
putting QSOs in the log from late Saturday afternoon until the end of the event.
Strong work, Ted!!
Dennis N8IVN enjoyed his daylight shift at WX3B and was treated to some
excellent band conditions and good runs.
Sid NH7C arrived to do the Saturday night shift, and before long, it was Sid,
running around between the low band operating positions, BY HIMSELF – after
3:00am in the morning. Sid fished up an incredible number of high values QSOs
in Oceana and Asia – making sure we stayed competitive during the graveyard
hours.
We had some SURPRISE operators get sucked into the fun: John AK3Z, for the
first time in many years, was found making a few QSOs on 160 meters. Jay,
KC3EMA – my friend and neighbor got on the air and had fun making some
late-night 20-meter QSOs.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was watching Steve NY3A become enthusiastic about
this contest, so enthusiastic that he actually OPERATED in it…for hours!!
First Steve tried to get us over 100 QSOs on 160 meters (a tough sell this time
of the sunspot cycle) – and then he enjoyed listening to multiple rectified /
distorted artifacts from the 4 other operating positions at WX3B while he was on
10 meters manufacturing more 3-point QSOs with the South American stations.
Imagine that, NY3A enjoying an SSB contest, and I have the photos to prove it
(on Facebook soon).
I did have a personal favorite QSO of the contest: it was with a retired
super-station builder many of you know: Joe NK7U. I had no idea he was active
from his Florida retirement QTH – and hearing his call sign was a
heart-warming experience after so many previous QSOs from his station in
Oregon.
Of course the highlight of this event is talking to so many radio friends and
renewing friendships from folks you may not have talked with in some time. It
was also a blast to have a basement full of friends operating together again,
and our team worked well together.
This was about as much fun as you can have in CQ WPX SSB with one missing
ingredient that I hope we shall be able to experience next year: a BOOMING
10-meter opening to Europe while 15 & 20 are also going great guns.
Many thanks to all for the many QSOs, the spots and on the air encouragement to
keep us going!
73,
Jim WX3B
Here are Selected comments from my team members
WR3R Gary
The #1 takeaway from me is THANKS! I can only imagine how much work you had
done, did during the test and will do to allow us to invade your beautiful QTH
for the test. Everything really worked 110%, due to your efforts and results.
And thanks to your partner, Elizabeth, for all her support.
In term of a few operating comments / thoughts.
What a great time operating and being with radio friends. It was especially
appreciative since we had not been able to really do much contesting fun, with
few exceptions, since C-19 started at the beginning of 2020. I had taken so
much for granted!
WPX is always such a blast. Prefixes like you never dream of come up. Some are
so creative. Call signs are 10 or more characters long.....others are 3. And
then you have the portable stations. Even some of the suffixes are great. I
specifically I remember HOT, FUN, BUM and of course ALE and RUM. And many more
I should have made a note of.
Propagation varied wildly. The initial 36 hours seemed quite good on most
bands. As the CME from a few days earlier took effect, the conditions turned
not bad, but strange. Moved the beam to JA on 20 meters hoping for a nice run
toward the end of the test; no luck but I could tell how much the conditions
had been impacted when a very loud but watery KL7 answered my CQ. Still,
overall propagation during the 48 hours, was quite good.
So nice to works many familiar calls again. Lots and lots of fun. It was a
great 48-hour party for sure.
W3IDT Bob
Next time - I'll bring some sleeping pills(!!!)
Just couldn't get my mind to shut down while trying to sleep.
(Cannot go) 48 hours without real sleep.
It's amazing how well your 50' high beams work!
The phased verticals on 80 also work very well.
WX3B Note: Bob made some automation improvement suggestions to the voice keyer
files, something I had not completely set up at the beginning of the contest.
Next year, we’ll record YOUR voice on a few function keys, Bob!!
NH7C Sid
The scoreboard is a great motivator to assure BIC.
I had a great time last night. The rag chew and the operating were an unbeatable
combination.
I did get some extra energy looking for and working the “runs” with the new
Australian 2x1 calls in the mix, with the previously unused or seldom used
prefixes. I used to know many of the VK contesters by their calls. Now I am
going to have to relearn all the 2x1 calls to know who I am working.
One other (highlight) is the team that you have there. All friends – no drama
– all fun.
Never forget, we couldn’t have all this fun if you didn’t host us. Thank
you!
WA3AER Ted
Yes, I had a good bit of Fun on 15M. It was particularly cool to work VK, ZL,
BY, and also Indonesia.
Overall I think the station worked fine AND we had a fine crew aboard. Thank You
for hosting us again.
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