[3830] CQWW SSB KQ2M SOAB HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: KQ2M
Operator(s): KQ2M
Station: KQ2M

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 17.3

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:    0     0        0
   80:    0     0        0
   40:    0     0        0
   20:  402    24       73
   15: 1002    31       79
   10: 1356    15       68
------------------------------
Total: 2760    70      220  Total Score = 2,347,840

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

Having missed the early fall contests due to serious continuing health issues,
major surgery and the passing of my mother, contesting was about #100 on a list
of #100 priorities.  But this was the CQWW and that meant enormous activity,
good conditions and lots of fun.  With Hurricane Sandy due on October 28, the
day after CQWW, and power failures and life disruptions a certainty for the 2nd
year in a row, I decided to enjoy operating my station before it was damaged
again.  I'll discuss the devastation of the storm in my town and QTH in my
CQWWCW writeup.

Although cndx were good, on Friday evening, I opted for a rare excursion to a
good restaurant with my family - the first time I was able to do that in the
past several months.  Saturday morning I staked out a good freq. on the low end
of 20 @ 1055z and started a slow and disappointing run. I had hoped for solid
EU, deep Russia and Central/Eastern Asia but 20 wasn't getting it done, no
doubt the hordes of EU were on 15 and 10.  At 1107z I made a quick qsy to 15
where the signals were not very strong but at least Russia was audible.  But
with a slow rate it was evident that 10 was where I needed to be.  So at 1121z
I qsy'ed to 10 and nothing happened.  Good freq but almost no callers.  Very
frustrating!  I moved down in freq. and found what appeared to be a better
freq. and the run started in earnest.  I knew that I was being heard when
BU3DMP called in at 1157z followed by UP2L at 1200z.  Although I had a good
freq. and was clearly loud in EU, that did not stop interlopers from cqing on
me, making noise and causing general qrm.  With the poor discipline and lack of
courtesy of some phone ops, someone clearing running stations is just an open
invitation for qrm rather than tuning up the band.  3Z2X gave me some trouble
for about 10 minutes and then he went away and then at 1149z it was like a
"switch" was thrown and the volume knob was turned up about 2 s-units.  All of
a sudden signals got amazingly loud (some EU stations pushing 20-40 over!) and
the pileup got very sense.  While the 11z hour ended with only 127 q's and 59
mults, the rate was climbing fast.

EX2T was s9+10 @ 1204z and then VU3DJQ followed at 1212z.  With the band open
solidly to the UK, DL, I and all of Northern Eu, the last 10 soared to 250,
then 300, then 350 and finally 400+ per hour as the last 100 rocketed up to
225, 250 and then North of 300 per hour!  SIMPLY INCREDIBLE! UN0L called in @
1227, RU9AC @ 1232z, SV9COL @ 1240z, HZ1PS @ 1245z, SV5DKL @ 1250 and A92GE @
1256z.  Somewhere in this hour I had two "8-minutes" and a 9 Minute!  My first
ever from stateside!  The peak hourly rate was 284 and best 30 minute rate was
306! 

At 1300z the last 10/100 showed 302.5/300.0!  The 12z hour ended with 263 q's.
The 13z hour continued the blistering pace but surprisingly 10 never really
opened for me to Central/Eastern Asia and the run confined itself to zones
14-16 with an occasional z20 station.  At 1321z I noted that I had worked 501
q's in 2.6 hours.  The rate began to slow and the 13z hour ended with 206.  I
had been on 28300 for almost 1 1/2 hours and it was now a very clear freq. when
I noticed someone cqing down 300hz below me on 28300.0.  Huh?  It was K4XS.  I
turned my antenna and said "Bill the freq. is in use - please qsy".  He was s7
and heard me.  But he ignored me and called cq again.  Why would he do that? 
And why on 28300.00?  Clearly he heard me and was trying to "push" me up the
band.  Very rude - not what a good operator would do.  I asked him nicely again
to qsy and he ignored me again.  Obviously intentional.  I turned my antenna
back to the NE and started running again.  At times the EU stations were so
loud that he had to ask his stations for repeats, but he didn't care.  He
wanted the band edge and would do anything to hold it even though other freq.
at the top end were far more clear and had no one on them.  I thought his style
of operating was quite obnoxious and I wasn't going to let him get away with it.
 I stayed on 28300.3 and grew my pileup - still keeping at 150+ hour rate all
through his intentional qrm.  Somewhere around 1430z, he decided to move up and
zero beat me, so now he was operating EXACTLY on my run freq. of 28300.3.  Then
he had the nerve to tell me "Bob, I have been on this freq. for a half hour -
qsy!".  I really don't understand why any operator would behave like this and
intentionally act like such a lid.  Nor was this an accident - he had done
almost exactly the same thing in WPXSSB on 15 meters.  At 1514 K4XS went away
and then a few minutes later he as back at it again.  Eventually he moved to
800hz above me, still way too close.  The net effect of all this was that I
lost a lot of respect for him as an operator with his poor conduct and we both
had lower rates than we could have had.  Freq. fights are unnecessary and waste
everyone's time.  Hopefully he will operate differently and with better
"sportsmanship" in the future.

Earlier at 1434, 9J2BO called in but the vast majority of EU callers were G,
DL, I, EA's and OZ, PA stations.  At 16z with the pileup intensified and the
rates picked up as we moved into EU sunset in Western and NW EU.  XQ1KZ called
in for z12 @ 1636z and the 16z hour ended with 181q's.  I had now worked 1076
q's in 6.1 hours!  

17z started with K4XS being obnoxious again and cqing only 400hz above me.
Practically zero beat on ssb!  More intentional qrm from him - clearly
shameless in his intent to drive me away from the band edge.  I am pretty sure
that his pattern of intentional qrm would be considered "unsportsmanlike
conduct" under the CQWW rules if not under the FCC rules.  Certainly not
conduct that one would expect or consider appropriate for an experienced
contest op.

With 10 starting to shut down (before it reopened again) and having only made
24 q's on 15 at this point, it was time to go back to 15.  At 1713z I found a
good spot on the low end and the band exploded!   At 1733z, TF3IG called in
followed by FR5GS @ 1736z.  The 17z hour was good for 171 q's but the last 10
rate in the back half of the hour soared to 335, and then in the 18z hour it
climbed further into the low 400's! as I again had some more "8-minutes"!! 
SV9COL called in @ 1808z followed by E21EIC @ 1826 - thanks Champ! and HZ1PS  @
1827z.  The 18z hour ended with 202 q's and although the band was still wide
open, I was wiped out.  I was only just beginning to regain significant
strength from after my operation and it was time to get some rest.  I went qrt
at 1918z.

I briefly got back on @ 2349z and spent 10 minutes hunting mults where I picked
up BY4QA and B3C on 15 followed by BY5CD and 9M8YY and UA0CNX on 20 and UA0CNX
back on 15.  Cndx were poor and the line noise that was gone earlier in the day
was back and very loud.  I qrt'ed again.

At 1004z I was back on 20 and EU was almost non-existent.  I turned one antenna
to VK and worked a few and then continued calling cq as I turned the top 20 back
to the NE.  At 1017z C5A called in with ZL3X at 1018z.  With only 60 q's on 20,
surely a BIG EU run awaited?  Right?  WRONG!  The 10z hour ended with only 82
q's on 20 - a BIG disappointment.  And it was back to 15 where I went highin
the band.  This seemed to work well as the qsb was incredibly fast - 2 letter
and then "POOF" gone.  I needed to be able to hear well and was rewarded with
R8XF and UN8GV calling in at 1127 and 1129z.  Some more UA9's called in
followed by RV9UP in z18 @ 1146z and then UA9UX and RZ9YF both at 1153z but the
opening to Asia on 15 was poor.  11z ended with 171 q's and was followed by 158
q's @ 12z.  I knew that I should really be on 10 but I had very little in the
way of q's on 15 and would not have another shot at the Asian stations.  A weak
VK6APH called in over the North pole @ 1223z followed by VK6MAB @ 1236z and RA9Y
and UA9UDX in Z18 @ 1928 and 1933z.  YC1LA called in @ 1249z and UA9UR @ 1255z
in z18.  A few other z17 UA9's called in with RL9I (z18) @ 1256z and UN4PG @
1300z.  With a solid run going but with the window to Asia closing fast on 15,
it was clear that I needed to be on 10.  At 1325z I qsy'ed to 10 and decided to
see what "high in the band" had to offer.  I went up to 28840 where it was clear
and less noisy.  I was amazed to hear so many Russian stations as the rate meter
soared into the 350+ for the last 10 and stayed there.  Unfortunately, static
from the approaching developing  storm made operating on 10 almost impossible
and even with FR5GS and OH0Z calling in at 1348 and 1355z, the 13z hour was
frustrating - even with 173 q's. The rate dropped further in the 14z hour as
the static intensified.  At 1432z I qsy'd to 15 where VU2ABS called @ 1444z.  I
was not able to get a good run going on 15, probably because the world was still
on 10, so after a paltry 115 hour at 14z, I qsy'ed back to 10 where the EU
stations were louder and I had a 120 hour at 15z. 

By now the Hurricane Sandy predictions were getting very ominous.  Top wind
gusts for my town had been increased from 70 mph to 90 mph and the NWS forecast
mentioned that there was a band of wind at 110 mph from 1500' to 3000' above sea
level (ASL).  My hill is at ~ 800' asl and 550' above the surrounding valley and
I have learned to take these forecasts very seriously.  The fact that the storm
was intensifying rapidly despite the cold air temperatures (45 deg.) was also a
very bad sign - it was taking the Hurricane structure and feeding off the
oncoming cold front and trough - something that read like a one-of-a-kind storm
from hell - which it was.  I qrt'd at 16z to begin storm preparations.  Bring
the barbecue and propane tank inside, all chairs, loose antenna elements and
hardware into the garage.  Fill up all the 5 gal gas cans because gas might not
be available due to the extensive expected power outages, flll up the bathtubs
with water, make start the chainsaw and generator to make sure they working
because our lives might depend on them. Charge all the cellphones and laptop
computers, etc.  Knock down the firewood pile on the deck so that the logs did
not become flying missiles.  I had even thought about parking one car near the
street so that we could get out if our driveway was blocked by falling trees
adn power lines - but I decided that it was just as likely that one of them
could just as easily fall on our cars .

At 1840z, having completed most preparations, I was back on.  15 was ok but the
qsb was worse and the noise/static made it very difficult to copy.  D2QMN called
in for z36 @ 1856z with ZS5SAM @ 1913z.  The rates were steady in the 225 last
10 and 150/hour range, but could have been much more. The 19z hour was 130 q's
with P33W, SX5P and S79LC calling in at 1929, 1930 and 1934z.  KH7CW called in
at 1937z - S9 despite being off the back of the antenna!  At 1953z, and with
only ~ 240 q's on 20, I decided to qsy and see if I could start a run.  I found
a good spot up the band and YE0X called in @ 1959z and it was "off to the races"
with a 213 hour during 20z.  GZ5Y at 2009z, followed by ZR6DX @ 2011z, RW0BG
YE2R and HZ1PS calling in consecutively :-) @ 2017-2018z, P33W @ 2029z along
with a few JA's and ZL's.  AH0BT was very welcome @ 2035z as wall CN8VO @ 2036z
with GU4YOX and RU0FM shortly thereafter.  A few more ZS, VK and ZL stations
rounded out a truly thrilling hour with the rate meter hitting 409.1/224.2 for
last 10/last 100 q's.  At 2052z the last 100 got up to 281.9 !  By this time
all the storm preparation, lack of sleep and fatigue from poor stamina all
caught up with me.  I took a break, watched some football and then got on at
2350z to spend 10 min working 14 mults on 20.

The contest ended for me with 2760 q's in 17.3 hours of operating while missing
many of the best hours.  I believe that I became the first US Single Opr. to
ever have 200+ hours on 10, 15 and 20 in the same contest!

I can only imagine how much more fun it would have been with a full complement
of working antennas and the stamina necessary for a SSB contest.  Maybe next
year, if I can get healthy and then finally stay healthy without any more
life-threatening illnesses. 

Thanks for all the q's and mults and see you in CQWWCW later today!
Happy Thanksgiving!

73
Bob KQ2M

kq2m at kq2m.com

www.rlsfinancialgroup.com
www.kq2m.com


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