[3830] K0DQ in ARRL DX CW 2012 - repost with detailed soapbox

[Michael Dinkelman]

                     ARRL DX Contest, CW

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

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA
Operating Time (hrs): 44
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
  Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   160:   69    35
    80:  374    69
    40: 1327   103
    20: 1556   110
    15: 1237   101
    10:  131    64
-------------------
Total: 4694   482  Total Score = 6,784,632

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

(repost with soapbox)

What a contest!
BATTLESHIP NEW HAMPSHIRE.
A former Pentagon boss of mine - a notable cold warrior - was famous for
observing that "bureaucracies do things well the second and subsequent
times."  That may be true for contesters.
This was the second contest shakedown cruise with a completely outfitted
battlewagon.  CQWW was the first and we were putting it together to the 
last minute, obviating any opportunity to test out and get familiar with 
what is a fairly sophisticated antenna and station matrix.  This time a 
computer crash provided last minute angst, but I felt a bit more at home 
staring at all the buttons and switches.  (Thanks to N6TV and the 
Win-Test crew for quick response.)

Essentially, Woody, WW1WW, has taken away all my hardware excuses. 
There may still be a little improvement in 80 meter antennas and station
automation, but other than the great equalizer of propagation, we can 
hold our own with most in a pile up.

The station is truly an engineering marvel - both electronically and
mechanically - and beautiful to behold.  My favorite navy flagship was 
USS IOWA (my home state) and this is as good as it gets in the radio 
contesting world.  Fred, KK1KW, who operates some of the phone contests 
at Woody's had some T-shirts made up with the Battleship silhouette. 
They are a treasured memento.
Most importantly, the partnership of the last year with Woody, WW1WW, 
has been a true joy.  His passion for excellence in physics and 
engineering has been incredible.  Whenever I say "we're out on the flat 
part of the curve,"he says "we can go further out!"  Thanks, shipmate.
THE SHAKEDOWN CRUISE.

The amazing thing is that after all these years, I still have no idea at 
the end of a contest how I have done compared to others.

In this case, the good news was that my claimed score just broke the
existing record of 6.588 million set by W4PA at K5ZD in 2004 (I paid 
special attention to accuracy, but will be a tight squeeze to make it 
through the log checking process with a new record intact).  However, 
there was only marginal comfort in that since I knew that 8 million was 
very possible.
Indeed, the top scores in CQWW CW would have all broken 8 million when
scored for ARRL DX (i.e. without zone multipliers).
The key to 8 million points was ten meters being open to Europe.  Based 
on CQWW and the original SFI predictions of 150-165, I set personal 
goals of 5000 QSO's (after dupes) and 8 million points.  As the contest 
approached the predictions for SFI kept decreasing until it reached an 
actual 103 on Friday before the contest, down some 30 points from CQWW 
CW.  Matt, KC1XX, told me on Friday that the mid-Atlantic guys (like 
K3ZO) had been working Europeans on 10 that he couldn't hear.  I still 
remember the year W4AN in Georgia beat K1AR in CQWW with assistance from 
an early morning opening to Europe on 20 which John didn't get.  Thus 
the nagging fear that K3CR, N2NT, NN3W, K4ZW, or one of the other more 
"Southern Guns" (can you spell K1TO?) would whomp New England.  As a 
Washington DC area resident who had traveled north, that would indeed be 
poetic justice.  Then, of course, there were K8PO and VY2TT who would 
have the same ten meter problem but are always a threat, especially on 
the low bands.

In the event, the runs Saturday were some of the best I have ever
experienced from the US.  Period!  At 1111Z the 'last hour' QSO rate hit 
150 and stayed above 150 for four hours.  At 1209Z I completed a 200 
hour and remained above 200 for two hours, running on 20 and 15.  The 
best full hour of the contest was 216 ending at 1322 and the last 10 
rate hit 356 at 1227.


In the meantime, I was checking 10 on the second radio, listening to 
KC1XX and others.  There were a few Europeans, but very spotty.  I kept 
telling myself, if I lose this, it will be by a strategic mistake of not 
going to 10.  But the rates were good and I consoled myself by thinking 
that Sunday would be another day when I would be fresh meat on 10.  I 
also knew that by the end of the contest each multiplier would be worth 
about 9 QSOs, so it seemed to make sense.   But that nagging feeling 
wouldn't go away and, finally, at 1457 I bit the bullet and went to ten. 
  The rate immediately dropped from 200+ to under 100 but I was able to 
work 77 QSO's in 47 minutes, including mostly southern Europeans.  With 
that down payment, I went back to 15, not knowing that would be 
virtually the last Europeans in the log on ten.

I kept pushing the rate and even without ten meters ended up with 3188 
QSO's at the halfway point, just slightly below the CQWW mark in the 
3200 range. I often take a few hours off around 0100Z but decided to 
stick it out until the more traditional drought between European and US 
sunrise which usually starts around 0800Z.  Sometime in there I noticed 
the polar flutter set in and running became difficult on any band.  At 
0100 the rate dropped below 100 and steadily decreased.  At 0200 I went 
to 20 for lack of anything better to do and found the "Polar Shopping 
Mall" open for business.  On a whim I put the second radio on 15 and 
voila, JA's and East Asians in number. Worked several, including 9M6, 
BA, UA0 and DU.  After a brief 160 stint I thought "I wonder" and 
switched the second radio to ten meters.  There were two signals on the 
band, KC1XX on ground wave and JA3YBK 20 over 9 with aurora flutter.  I 
was stunned, but put him in the log at 0340Z (2300 local rather than the 
sleep-deprived memory of 0100 reported earlier) for one of
the more memorable QSO's in almost 60 years of hamming.

Slugged it out with rates below 50 until 0600Z.  Forty meters never 
became runnable at European sunrise.  Slow learner that I am, I went to 
20 at 0600 and got something of a "Polar Shopping Mall" run going, 
rising to a 108 rate at 0700Z.  By this time, however, I'm out of gas 
and decide to rest, hoping the morning runs will be better.

They were good but not great.  Nice surprises on 20 included calls by 
VR2KF, XU7ACY, DU1/JJ5GMJ, a BY, a 5 watt HL and new best friend 9M6XRO. 
  15 brought a YB and VU.  By 1600Z the rate dropped below 100 and 
stayed there most of the rest of the day.  The afternoon 40 meter run 
never gathered much steam (although 9V1YC LP was a nice surprise) and it 
became obvious 5000 Q's would not materialize.  I didn't work a single 
European on 10 the second day. After forgetting to work a W on 160 in 
CQWW, I paid more attention to the multiplier board and pretty much 
cleaned up the Caribbean expeditions.  Not many QSY's, but old friends 
ZD8Z and VP9/W6PH kindly obliged.  Never heard Jimmy on 10 or 80, nor 
did Kurt ever pop out 15 and 10 (but he's an Air Force Academy grad, so 
that's to be expected).

All in all, a wild ride.  No contest is the same but this one is at the
outer edge of the standard deviation in my experience.

Special kudos to Chas, K3WW, and Bud, AA3B, who have obviously figured 
out how balance spots with running in the assisted category.  Also, 
Randy, K5ZD's 5M in a mere 30 hours assisted is a reminder that there 
are always bears in the woods.  Then there's that di-poler guy, K1AR, 
who's been known to win a few contests.  Of course, Jeff, VY2ZM's (who 
beat me last year) decision to go single band was a big factor.  In 
short, Sic gloria transit-you're only as good as your last contest.
Thanks to all for the QSO's.  It's a privilege to be shipmates with you.

CU on phone from P40L with John and the other Admiral, N4OC.