For the past several years I have realized that it is possible to make it into
the TOP 10 WORLDWIDE in the most heavily competitive category of SOABHP with
just a simple Butternut vertical. You might say that it is an easy task
sitting on an island in the Caribbean and you could probably do it with a
dipole but it is not that easy compared to what type of stations my competitors
are using.
I am writing this not to brag of my operating skills but to simply start your
thinking process as the CQWW tests near, that you too, could put a luggage
station together and hop on a flight to a dx spot someplace in the world. Oh
ya, it's great to fly to a DX station that is already there and just sit down
and operate but there is something really special about hauling your complete
station and setting it up on an island someplace in the world. Hopefully by
the end of this weekend you will have made up your mind that you are going to
operate from a DX spot for the upcoming CQWW tests.
Don't get discouraged! You too can make it into the TOP 10 WORLDWIDE in
whichever category you choose. Let's look at the negatives that I face each
year doing this. I pack three pieces of luggage containing my complete station.
I generally have the longest call, signing FS/AH8DX and it is a portable. I
use only one radio since I don't have room for second radio and antennas in my
luggage. I take an amplifier that is a manual tune and also an amplifier that
is easy to repair if something goes wrong with it. My antenna is an all band
Butternut vertical and a 160 inverted L that is 30' tall with the rest of the
wire which slopes down towards the beach with two elevated radials.
To make it into the TOP 10 WORLDWIDE, plan on staying in that chair for the
entire 48 hours. Plan on getting your laptop set up with good contest software
where you can utilize the function keys with your voice messages already
loaded. Hopefully plan on having all of the bugs worked out of your station
ahead of time.
Last but not least, concentrate on multipliers but don't get caught up in
spending too much time searching for them as your Q totals need to be high also.
So get out a world map, pick a spot and book your airline ticket! The rest is
easy.
See you in the CQWW from someplace in the world.
Craig Maxey, AH8DX & 8R1EA
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