[3830] CQWW VHF K3EAR Multi-Op HP

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                    CQ Worldwide VHF Contest

Call: K3EAR
Operator(s): K9PW N1JFU N3GH N3PBH NN3Q WA1HHN
Station: K3EAR

Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: EPA FM19
Operating Time (hrs): 27

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6: 1153   304
    2:  310    62
-------------------
Total: 1463   366  Total Score = 648,918

Club: South Mountain Contest Club

Comments:

This contest was about as good as the best ever (June 1987): 6m Es for most of
the contest, some 2m Es as well, and the midwest had some nice tropo.  Did
anyone see any 222 Es like in 1987?  

>From FM19, 6m was open to W5 at the start of the contest.  The opening moved
north & also extended to the west coast with some nice double hop.  Double hop
openings to CM & CN grids from Pennsylvania seem more frequent & stronger than
from Illinois (my home).  More than 150 QSO this weekend were multi-hop.  Much
of Saturday evening’s opening stayed into W0 with shorter contacts into W9. 
During this time, 2m opened into MN for us.  Perhaps we didn’t notice it in
time or everyone else was on 6m, but we should have done better on 2m Es.

On Sunday, six opened into some new areas (W4) as well as W0 & W9 & W5 again. 
A few contacts into Europe, Central & South America as well as the Caribbean
certainly helped the grid total.  Significant rover activity also helped. 
VE5UF provided 3 unique grids.  K1DW/R in EM41 was grid number 300.  (Two
minutes later he called from EM51 for number 301.)  Who would have thought 300
grids was possible?

Rates stayed under 100/hr on 6m for the entire contest.  Partially because from
FM19 most one hop openings are not into densely populated areas.  Our line noise
& crowded band & changing conditions slowed things down.  Probably should have
moved higher in the band than 50.209 MHz.  But even on Sunday, most hours had
30 to 50 contacts.  

We also had a little bit of tropo to EN52-EN53 on Sunday morning. 
Unfortunately there was very little activity.  I suspect the 6m opening & the
midwest’s 2m opening to the southwest is why.  Persistence on 2m eventually
got us over 300 contacts.

This was our first CQWW VHF.  It is one contest we will never forget.  Having
strong competition & great openings makes it more fun.  Congrats to K2DRH on
his record score.


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