[3830] CQWW CW SU9NC(N9NC) SOAB LP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: SU9NC
Operator(s): N9NC
Station: SU9NC

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Cairo, Egypt
Operating Time (hrs): 44
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   17     5       16
   80:  463    17       62
   40:  928    25       75
   20:  993    30      105
   15:  615    32       86
   10: 1431    33       82
------------------------------
Total: 4447   142      426  Total Score = 7,302,208

Club: 

Comments:

Station:

FT 1000 MP  &  IC-706 both barefoot

N1MM Logger

2 C3SS (2 elements each on 10/15/20 on a 12' boom), on short (3 m) independent
rooftop masts on an apartment building, effective height above ground clutter
about 40 meters.  Not really stackable, more like sprayable using a WX0B
stackmatch.   Spraying 2 directions very effective at some times of day.  

12.5 Meter Vertical (using the bottom half of a Titanex V80E, 2 10m long radials
strung on the roof)
 -matched with a single Capacitor on 40
 -linear loaded on 80m with a wire up to the 6 meter point
 -additional base L for 160 (maybe 10% efficient if I am lucky, that's why I was
so weak on 160)


Comments 

Conditions were simply fantastic for this late in the cycle- although 10m did
close to NA just after sunset, while it was open signals were dramatically
better than during the SSB weekend.  And something good happened the second
night on the low bands- signals were way up enabling a good run on 80, and a
handful of mults on 160.  


Low points 

Somehow missing JA on 20 meters 

Missing zone 3 on 10 and 15

Letting zone 6 slip through my fingers on 10m- heard something a...ub....aub?
calling me after I had mentally decided the band was closed to NA-  but the band
faded before I could complete the QSO with who was most likely xe2aub.  Will try
to remember never to decide somewhere is no longer workable.

Inability to tune a 160M quarter wave sloper off the building.  I had waited
until Friday evening to place the wire, to minimize environmental impact /
neighbor complaints.  But with no good ground, and no time to make one, could
get it to resonate only at 1550 KHz.  This the first time I have ever
experienced a 160m antenna that wouldn't tune because it was too long...

This prevented an evening nap before the contest, which I believe contributed to
several serious drowsy periods on Saturday-- I did not experience this in the
SSB weekend.  Candidly, for a few periods, even during 2 or 3 per minute runs, I
was had micro-naps (seconds long- like you may get during a long boring single
op driver Interstate/Autobahn drive)-  I would wake up when the still conscious
part of me was hearing no callers because I should've sent the 'TU' to the
station I was working but failed to do so (in the driving case, its usually
feeling the steering wheel beginning to vere off the road that wakes you up, at
least for me).  Hopefully accuracy did not suffer too much.  Next time must do
all work ahead of time and rest well at least one if not a few days before.


Highlights

Working a couple zone 3 stations on 40m long path

Most fun was a run on 80M with the enhanced signals on Sunday evening- I had
stumbled on to 3547 calling someone, one station called me and then another, and
shortly the packet pile came along; 2 hours seemed like 20 min as over 200 Q's
were logged.  Many of the signals from Eu were so loud I had the MP's ATT on
'18' as well as the IPO button pushed for long time until the loudest layer was
worked out.  No records for rate certainly, but it was fun on 80m with the big
sigs- JA7YAA was S9+20dB, last spring the loudest 80m JA for weeks and weeks was
S9 to 5 over.

Met my minimum goal of setting a new SU CW record for all bands (regardless of
power; margin appears large enough to withstand typical UBN reductions) - happy
with the zone number but still think countries is low.  Except for 160m, with
the inefficient vertical, I still feel operator rather than station limited.  

Reference 'Secrets of Contesting' Thread in October: while I greatly enjoyed
Ron's (WA9IRV) pitch, what some claimed were trite management cliches from Jim
N6TJ were for me were indeed real and practical.  Had I not told myself the band
was closed, I more than likely would have not missed the XE on 10.  Same true
for the QSO numbers generally.  Basically, if you behave like you are weak, you
will be weak.  If you behave like you are loud, you will be loud.  In
particular, do lots of CQing (ala Tree's advice), you may get bumped around a
bit, but you will end up with a better score than with less CQing.   I Thought I
had learned this lesson years ago, but now I know you can't CQ too much.
Hence:

First time seriously trying SO2R - it was effective but I need much more SO2R
operating hoursto become competent at it.  I am sure this is one key of a better
multiplier score, and it thus enables the requisite amount of CQing.

First time using N1MM logger in a CW contest- really, really good, and it gets
better with every release.  Thanks to Tom and other developers!

Generally great sportsmanship from everyone - I especially appreciate those
stations that moved to other bands at my request, and I complied with almost all
such requests to me, only declining a couple during very high rate runs.  

Etiquette here seems to be still evolving- some declined my requests with a
polite no TU, others with no response at all.  Some consider its impolite to
ask.  I can imagine a semi rare mult doing a more casual S&P operation being
asked to move by every other station he calls in the lower 20 KHz, as these are
often the big multi's and so on-- this must get old very fast.  My take - the
benefits are mutual in many to most cases, and with SO2R and automatic band
switching, quick moving is here to stay.  I more appreciate the direct 'no
TU/sorry' than no response and won't be shy about asking, especially to those
who call me.  And I'll to comply to reasonable requests (live during the
contest) for me to move - it will help me improve SO2R skills, and it will add
to fun and scores generally.

Overall great fun and still THE contest.

73,

Tom  SU9NC


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