[3830] CQWW CW K4XD SOSB(A)/80 HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: K4XD
Operator(s): K4XD
Station: K4XD

Class: SOSB(A)/80 HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 17

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:                    
   80:  234    22       82
   40:                    
   20:                    
   15:                    
   10:                    
------------------------------
Total:  234    22       82  Total Score = 65,624

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Another relatively short writeup as I play catch-up here -- this completes the
"K4XD does CQWW on 80M" triumvirate, having done an 80M entry in all three
modes.  Was very educational and while I did miss the excitement of deciding
when to change bands and the almost bottomless pit of Q's and cluster spots of
CQWW SOAB, I did enjoy being able to put the headphones down for hours in the
middle of the day and get out of that blessed operating chair!  

In CQWW RTTY, I felt pretty strong on 80M -- no doubt because domestic stations
count.  In CQWW SSB, I felt like a peanut whistle, having people CQ in my face
routinely from sundown until an hour before local midnight. CQ WW CW was
somewhere in the middle.  Each night seemed to improve (was it me, conditions,
or both?).  The first night seemed awful -- strong signals received, my signals
ignored even from usually easy to reach G and F stations.  Rates were as low as
5/hour.  The second night was better -- I started getting more answers earlier,
a couple hours after sunset.  I felt at least like I had an antenna in the air. 
Sunday was a total surprise - of course the contest only lasts a couple hours
past sunset on the East coast, but I managed the second best hour (don't get
too excited, we're taling 17 Q's here!) and even squeaked in another mult.

Many attempts to run just never caught on, unlike in CQWW RTTY where I was able
to run both domestic and DX alike.  While the rate was never strong, I would run
for 10 minutes and get nothing back.  I expected to get some points from VE
stations during runs, but they were few and far between.  The only total
surprise was having a JA answer my CQ Sunday morning -- after wondering if I
was reaching Canada, I almost fell out of my chair.  Radio is full of
surprises, some good, some Murphy-ridden.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  I now have almost a year to decide
if next year's CQWW will be SOAB or if I'll pick another band to put under the
spectrum scope.  

I did work a Q or two on every other band besides 80 and they are all in the
log going to CQWW, but didn't include them in my summary since this is a
SOSB(A)/80 entry.

Thanks to everyone I worked and apologies to everyone who wondered if I had
fallen asleep at the keyboard (I may have!).  Special thanks to those who took
planes, trains, boats and automobiles to give us DX to chase and mults for the
log.

73,
Rowland K4XD


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