[3830] WPX CW N8II SOSB20 LP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: N8II
Operator(s): N8II
Station: N8II

Class: SOSB20 LP
QTH: WV512
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:     
   40:     
   20:  512
   15:     
   10:     
------------
Total:  512  Prefixes = 381  Total Score = 414,528

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

My daughter graduated from high school this weekend. As brother Bill says, 
"family time is not fun time". Actually, other than missing some of the prime
EU hours it wasn't that bad. Daughter Sabrina helped mom cleaning and in the
kitchen a lot.I was really pleased with how things were going until the
afternoon EU opening when the big guns were nice and loud, but I just couldn't
run worth a darn, no matter where I tried in the band. I had to QRT for family
time at 2135Z Saturday and graduation at 2120Z Sunday.

Observations: I think receiver technology improvements have improved ability of
many to copy weak signals. Most all of the USA stations I could copy on
backscatter heard me. Special mention to KD2RD who struggled mightily in vain
to copy my NR. Thanks to all who dug out my 100W signal. Poorest listener award
goes to a PB station who was peaking S8 on a clear frequency.

There are many many layers of signals from EU. At 21Z Saturday when the big
guns were S9+, there were EU's I could barely copy working other EU's I could
barely copy or not hear at all. It was obvious there was some sporadic E in EU
then.

Propagation was pretty far down from recent normals. The K index hit as high as
5 which severely limited working even R6 area Russians and any Asians. Things
could have been so much better. I think the only time I could hear northern EU
well was around 20-21Z Saturday and some again around 13-14Z Sunday. A week
ago, I worked about 20 UN stations on 20 in the UNDX, only heard UP0L this time
and unable to be heard. Even under normal condx, only northern EU can be
expected to be loud on 20 in our daylight morning period at this time of year,
typical summer condx. Around midnight normally all of northern EU, the
Mediterranean, and Russians out to the R9 area would we loud at midnight local.
Sunday, only a few Med area stations could be heard. Sporadic E openings seemed
to be down from normal with the best condx Sunday afternoon when activity was
low enough it didn't help us much. NA signals beyond my skip were pretty loud,
especially at night.

I was lucky to be able to operate as much as I did. I was able to run quite a
few USA stations early in the contest. Breakdown: USA 206 Q's
                                                   VE  19
                                                   NA  18  
                                                   SA  21
                                                   AF  10 (All in NW AF)
                                                   AS  11
                                                   JA   3
                                                   OC   8 (KH7 + ZL)
                                                   EU 217
                                                  USA 206

Thanks for the Q's. If you were calling CQ when the band was open well to the
USA, there is a good chance I called you, lots of S&P. Congrats to the fb PVRC
efforts of NR4M, KD4D, NY4A leading the USA multi-op packs with also big
efforts from NR3X (N1LN), NY3A, WR3Z, and K3ZO. See you next year hopefully
with better condx!

73, Jeff


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