[3830] CQWW CW WX0B(AD5Q) SOAB HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: WX0B
Operator(s): AD5Q
Station: WX0B

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Dallas, Tx
Operating Time (hrs): 44
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   46    12       20
   80:  192    23       71
   40:  627    31       98
   20:  760    29      103
   15:  222    24       84
   10:   37     8       11
------------------------------
Total: 1884   127      387  Total Score = 2,412,202

Club: North Texas Contest Club

Comments:

I didn't think conditions were that bad. 10 was horrible, but look where we're
at in the sunspot cycle. I am, however, continually bewildered when I can't run
EU's on 40. The antennas are big on that band, and I have had some spectacular
EU runs from WX0B. But in these same contests, 10 was at least partially open
to Europe in the morning. In other words, it requires a higher flux to really
open 40 from here. Still. I try this run several times per contest and get
lucky less than 20% of the time. The typical response is mostly from zones 4
and 5 (including a few VE's) , with some barely copyable EU's. I see where LPL
only worked 15 JA's on 40, and find that comforting. The JA's were good here. 

80 was really good the first night, and I missed any band peak to EU on 160 and
resolved to rectify this deficit on day 2. The low bands were also quiet on the
first night, and I comfortably ran EU's on 80 from 0600-0730z while sweeping 40
productively. As long as at least one band is running, SO2R works the way it
should. The JA's on 40 kept me busy for the rest of the morning. But the 2nd
night was not very productive. All the low bands were noisy, and the rain
static on 40 was as high as S8. Looking at the radar and approaching rain, I
took 45 minutes of down time at 0950z, giving up a good run freq to the QRN.
Every time the noise level subsided, the JA's were there for me. 

There were lots of stations on 40 long path, mostly not mults – but you never
know. The 20 and 40M antennas are on the same tower, with the top half rotating
the top 40 together with the two top 20's. This presents an SO2R dilemma when
these bands are open to different directions. 20 opens promptly at sunrise, and
40 long path peaks about a half hour later. I try to secure a frequency with the
low (independently rotatable) 20 while sweeping 40 LP, then switch to the full
20 stack to run. I need to try something else, like do my 40 sweeps before
sunrise and before 20 opens. I feel I missed 45 minutes of the 20M peak on both
mornings, and on day two I got bumped off the frequency anyway when I turned the
full stack NE. This sent me hippity hop up the band looking for a new frequency
on a crowded and wide open band, and getting chased off by either the zone 5
guys or the pactor pig farmers. I ended up above them, at 14.114 – really
high. The run was OK, but I never did unwind to anywhere near my best rates. It
must have been fun down lower. In other words, my numbers could have been higher
on 20 if I had transitioned from 40 to 20 differently.

15 was actually better than expected. I didn't try to run EU there because I
expected the openings to be shorter. I worked a lot of 2nd radio mults, and
didn't get to sweep 20 during it's morning peaks until I finally tried a run on
15. I found 10 open on Sunday to Africa and some SE stns. I worked everything I
heard, then returned a half hour later expecting to find the rest of the zone 8
and 9 guys running big pileups. Nope: the band died. 

So I worked really hard, and the score is off from last year (which brought
really good conditions on 80 & 160). My zone totals are especially down on all
six bands. I learn something new each year, and look forward to some sunspots.
Jay and Sharon were, as always, great with their abundant hospitality.

Roy -- AD5Q


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