[3830] CQWW CW W3EF SOAB LP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: W3EF
Operator(s): W3EF
Station: W3EF

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Colesville, MD
Operating Time (hrs): 44
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   23     7       11
   80:  106    19       52
   40:  504    29       91
   20:  711    31      103
   15:  206    21       78
   10:   30     8       15
------------------------------
Total: 1580   115      350  Total Score = 1,979,970

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Well, that was some contest. I've long been more interested in ARRL DX than
CQWW, but that is starting to change.  This is, after all, the big one.  And
since I made it as high as 5th in SOLP USA last year (but see below), I
redoubled my efforts this time. Despite 80 and 160 being significantly worse
than last year, I managed to better my results on all the other bands, for a
total score nearly 50% above last year's.  No complaints there!

Best moments were the 10m opening on Saturday - a total of 8 zones and 15
countries, compared to 2 and 2 last year - and the 20m/15m run on Sunday,
working both bands together.  It would have been better with my top antennas
(see below), but it sure was good.  Best DX included 9J, A2, BY, R1ANB, KH0,
V5, Z2 and ZD8, plus JA, P3, TF and ZS on 80.  6Y1V was my only 6-bander, but a
welcome one.

I also found out why we use stacks.  We use stacks because when one of your
antennas is out, there is (usually) another one available!  This was the case
on both 20 and 15 this weekend due to windy weather having interrupted some
antenna work.  The work was on the top 20 beam, but when I noticed that the gin
pole was still in place, and blocking the rotation of the upper 15, it was too
late.  Oh well.  Another handicapped contest.  By now I am more used to these
than to the other kind (is there one?).

The big scare came in the middle of the Saturday PM run, when I QSYd to 10m,
worked a station, heard somthing fizzle, and lost my WinKey functionality. 
With visions of manually keying both radios for the rest of the contest, I
disassembled and tested the relevant bits, found nothing wrong, reassembled
everything, and presto, it all worked flawlessly right through to the end. 
Some days you just get lucky.

>From an operating effectiveness perspective, I continue to learn and improve. 
This time it was about continuing to increase the percentage of time I used two
radios, as well as my speed and accuracy with exchanges and the even faster use
of Super Check Partial.  N1MM Logger has evolved into a truly superb piece of
freeware; if you are not using it (and all its SO2R features) then you are
losing points, period.  I say this as a convert from Winkey (also excellent,
but not quite as excellent) and a very late arrival to the fold (last contest
season).  I expect I will not be a truly expert user for at least another year,
but it will have been well worth the effort.

Last year I managed a fifth-place finish (best ever from this station).  At
least, that is what my certificate says.  CQ Magazine has me listed as 7th, so
I'm not sure what to make of it.  This year I am hoping to improve on whatever
it was, but who knows.  Congratulations to all the winners, especially N5AW
whom I very much wanted to beat but seems to have just edged me out, and many
thanks to everyone who entered.  Thanks also to all the families -- especially
mine --for the sacrifice!

Best 73,

Maury W3EF

Station W3EF (Colesville, MD: FM19):

IC 7800 & IC 775DSP
Top Ten selectors and DX Doubler
2 x Dunestar 600 BPFs
WX0B Six-Pak
N1MM Logger
WinKeyer USB

Antennas:
160m: Comtek phased inverted Ls (2) @ 75' w/elevated radials
80m: Comtek wire 4-sq (sloping to supports off 125' tower) w/elevated radials
40m: KLM 40M4 @ 125'; wire GP @ 60' in tree
20m: 2 x Telrex 20M646 @ 105' (stuck NNE) and 54' (fixed on EU); A3S @ 53'
15m: Telrex 15M845 @ 92' (stuck NNE) and 15M532 @ 46' on TIC ring; A3S @ 53'
10m: A3S @ 53' (Telrex 10M636 @ 133' about to come on line; might have made a
difference on Saturday but not much)
Beverages: 750' NNE, 290' NW, 280' W


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