[3830] WPX CW G0CKV(@M5E) SO(A)AB LP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: G0CKV
Operator(s): G0CKV
Station: M5E

Class: SO(A)AB LP
QTH: London
Operating Time (hrs): 35

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    2
   80:  281
   40:  613
   20:  486
   15:  407
   10:   39
------------
Total: 1828  Prefixes = 868  Total Score = 4,087,412

Club: Chiltern DX Club

Comments:

M5E was on the air from the G0CKV home QTH in suburban London running a single
K3 and no frills except for WinTest and RBN. K3 and WinTest performed
flawlessly as usual and RBN makes contesting more fun for this old-timer who
always likes evolving technology. We don't want this hobby to die and end up in
a museum, do we?

The antenna farm here was miserable and in the G0CKV tradition erected in the
last minute field-day style for the weekend, more or less identical to this:
http://g0ckv.com/g0ckv_sac2011_antennafarm.jpg , a collapsing inverted L
snarled in the trees and shrubs for 160 and 80, a 40m inverted V dipole with
apex at 25ft and a Cushcraft trap dipole at 20ft for 20-15-10.

It is very difficult to work any low-elevation DX with these low antennas that
are well shielded by the surrounding vegetation and houses but condx were not
bad so I guess I have to be happy with what I worked. Apologies for all the
repeats required and thanks to the many DX ops who patiently managed to pick
out the tiny callsign and dig out the serial number from my puny signals.

This was an almost 100% S&P effort. When I tried to run I was either barking
(whispering?) into an empty space or a big brute came and took my frequency
pretending that he didn't hear me. I never achieved any runs in my few brief
attempts but had have several fun S&P sessions going at 80-100 q/hr. I
optimistically loaded the new beta firmware for the K3 that is supposed to
improve the K3's ability to pick out signals in pileups. Well, with this setup
I didn't have any pileups that would challenge the K3 but I guess I was
frequently part of the bottom of the pile at the other end.   

With no towers or rotators or stacked yagis to maintain at this QTH I had a few
spare minutes available to consider strategy and decided to focus on yield
rather than 'dumb' rate and I think that strategy worked OK.

This was good fun with great operators generally - thanks for the QSOs and your
good ears and patience.

One lesson from this might be that you can have great fun and do kind of OK
even without a super-station in a super-location. It can be seriously fun and
exhilarating to operate from a big station but it is challenging and satisfying
in a different way to do OK as an under-dog.


 BAND   QSO DUP  PFX  POINTS   AVG 
-----------------------------------
  160     2   0    0       3  1.50 
   80   281   0   57     710  2.53 
   40   613   4  355    1994  3.25 
   20   486   1  301     992  2.04 
   15   407   1  148     937  2.30 
   10    39   0    7      73  1.87 
-----------------------------------
TOTAL  1828   6  868    4709  2.58 
===================================
      TOTAL SCORE : 4 087 412


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/