[3830] WPX CW WW1WW(K0DQ) SOAB HP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: WW1WW
Operator(s): K0DQ
Station: WW1WW

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: NH
Operating Time (hrs): 35.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:  147
   40:  969
   20: 1126
   15:  401
   10:   33
------------
Total: 2626  Prefixes = 934  Total Score = 7,441,178

Club: 

Comments:

What a contest!   

Short summary: 
 
Station: great.  
Propagation: challenging.  
Operator:  Needs work.

Thanks to Woody, WW1WW for use of his superb and growing station.  His
enthusiasm, technical knowledge and engineering skill are a joy to behold.  He
can build just about anything - quickly. This was second time at WW1WW (after
ARRL DX in Feb) and I’m still climbing the learning curve.  I could even
recognize most of the knobs on the radios and came home with a list of memory
options and software tweaks -- small stuff which should make a difference in
the aggregate.  

Congrats to Jeff, VY2ZM, Krassy, K1LZ,and Paul, AJ1I for impressive scores in
‘interesting’ conditions.  WC1M, KC3R psyched me out during the weekend
with serial serial numbers above me.  Randy, K5ZD, gave me an early scare but
apparently had home duties (or see below).  

This was the first time I’ve done WPX from the US and only the fourth or
fifth time ever.  Had not internalized the differences from the winter contests
and really need to go so school on summer propagation.  Especially had a hard
time getting my mind around an operating strategy, which was further
complicated by the magnetic storm and plain old thunderstorms.   I’d looked
at the past summaries from KC3R, WC1M, and â€" of course â€" K5ZD.  It’s
funny what sticks in your mind.  One of Randy’s reports basically said he
slept 3 hours a night and walked the dogs during the day.  Presumably the dogs
are trained to recognize falling MUF or increasing absorption and come to
remind Randy it’s time to take an hour off.  Woody’s cats didn’t seem to
have that skill so I stayed in the Animal Unassisted category.  Had planned to
follow the general model of 4 hours off after EU sunrise and two hours off in
middle of day, but when I woke up Saturday morning and heard the aurora-like
signals I thought we were in the midst of a major storm and decided to gamble
and take most of my time off early, hoping for improvement in conditions.  Knew
that would be countered by lesser activity during second day, as it was.   In
the end, took 6.5 hours off from 0630 to 1300Z Saturday, probably a mistake
based on Sunday experience when the aurora sound was also present but
dissipated quickly.  

About 2030Z Saturday with decent run going on 20, the band scope suddenly
blanked out with noise on 20, like a switch had been thrown.  At first it
seemed man-made.   I asked Woody if he had turned something on and if so, to
please turn it off.  I confess I had fleeting thoughts that someone took
seriously my jesting comments at the Dayton Contest Dinner about jamming, but
didn’t see K1DG’s or K1AR’s car in the driveway.  Finally realized it was
rain static.  Had never experienced anything like that, even in old PVRC days. 
Lost an hour and a half there and went into the second day with four hours of
off time left.

Wanted to be a multiplier but also was concerned that WW1WW on CW would be (1)
confusing and (2) looooooong.  Got more than a few blank stares when calling
people but had the offsetting silver lining of more time to listen to the
second radio while CQing (yeah, OK, that glass IS 90% empty).

Without analyzing the actual numbers, I was generally pleased with second radio
operation and suspect it was a significant add.  Found it harder to generate a
stream of callers on the run radio (compared to other contests) and that placed
a premium on second radio contacts, even if not multipliers.  Have been plagued
with a literal 40 db loss in my right ear for two years and figuring out how to
set the volume levels without blowing out the left ear was a challenge.  Think
operating SO2R with an ear plug in one ear.  Woody found a pair of headphones
with variable volume control for each ear which helped somewhat, but still
found I had to run on the left radio.   Hopefully an upcoming surgical
procedure will at least even out the (already poor) hearing in both ears.

All in all, a fun contest, especially with all the great W/K prefixes.  “Wait
‘til next year.”  Maybe Randy will lend me his dogs.

Blessings and happy Memorial Day to all.

Scott, K0DQ @ WW1WW
Former Naval Person

-------------------------
Station:

IC 7600, IC 7800, 2 x AL-1500
Win-Test 4.7.0 with N6TV scripts for SO2R
Antennas:
80M:  1/4 wave vertical

40M:  3/4 (3L over 4 L)
20M:  6/6
15M:  6/6
10M:  7/7
Above on two rotating 195’ towers - 40 on one, 12/15/20 on other

10/15/20:  Log Periodic @ 60’
RX:  DX Engineering Receive 4 SQ, NE beverage


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