[3830] CQWW CW KQ2M SOAB HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: KQ2M
Operator(s): KQ2M
Station: KQ2M

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 34
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:    8     4        6
   80:  405    14       52
   40:  719    27       79
   20:  635    34       97
   15:  844    28       88
   10:  848    28       84
------------------------------
Total: 3459   135      406  Total Score = 5,418,062

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

I had a very limited time to operate this year and missed many prime hours. 
Knowing, in advance that I was not going to have a competitive score, I decided
not to push too hard and did very little 2nd radio work or mult passing.  I
mostly "took it wasy" and ran, curious to see what would call in (Answer:  NOT
MUCH!).  With conditions so good and multiple bands open around the world at all
times, many DX stations were on different bands than I was so when you sat on
one freq for a while, you missed the mults on that band!  

The decision to not push hard in this contest was serendipitous as by Saturday
evening as a result of the intensely high winds and heavy rain, I lost my
remaining 40 meter antenna! (Two others were already not working before the
contest). The one working beverage (no time to fix the others) made it possible
to run EU on 80 through all the power line noise and rain and wind static (you
get wind static on wire antennas as a result of the trees moving around in high
winds!) and for several hours signals were considerably better on the beverage
than the wire 4 square!

It was weird to have such promising solar numbers and yet have 10 meters be so
disappointing and 15 not a whole lot better.  40 was lots of fun even without a
meaningful working antenna and 80 had a few hours of great EU.  The real
surprise was that finally at the end of the contest, 20 came to life with great
worldwide signals.  All in all you could feel the "mental" transition from the
high bands to the low bands this year. This probably was the last good 10 meters
we will see for about the next 5 years.  I will miss it!

I hope to have more comments and writeup in a few weeks after my vacation.

Congrats to all the high scorers and those of you who had personal bests!
Tnx for the q's and Season's Greetings and Happy New Year to all!

73
Bob KQ2M

kq2m at earthlink.net


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/