[3830] CQWW CW M5O(G3LET) SOSB/160 HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: M5O
Operator(s): G3LET
Station: G3LET

Class: SOSB/160 HP
QTH: Pease Pottage, UK
Operating Time (hrs): 30

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160: 1100    13       67
   80:                    
   40:                    
   20:                    
   15:                    
   10:                    
------------------------------
Total: 1100    13       67  Total Score = 120,960

Club: 

Comments:

This was not really the place to be of course, with all the HF excitement going
on - "assistance" would have been helpful to catch the fleeting visits from the
multibanders.  So, apart from the peak hours, 160 was largely populated by the
multi-multis and here mention must be made of the DR1A run station, whose
chirpy and modulated wide-band spurs made large parts of the band a misery for
the whole weekend.  OK, he was loud but the Rx attenuator made no difference at
all.  Whether he'll register on the CQ wide band recording is another matter,
but I'm sure as hell going to complain.

So what more can be said, apart from a sad lack of decent openings, at least
for us in the UK - central EU was the place to be, open to JA for several
hours.  The only one just audible here was the mega station of JA5FDJ, on whom
I could make no impression at all.  There was a reasonable Saturday morning
opening to the mid-west but that was as far as it  went.  On Sunday morning,
VE3PN and HK1NA were still strong until after 0800 on an otherwise dead band. 
>From Africa, EL2A was disappointing, easily out-performed by D4C and C5A, both
of whom were struggling for QSOs by the last evening.  Nothing at all from the
middle or far east, but this is off the back of the sloping wire and conditions
need to be spot-on to get anywhere there.  This weekend, I even struggled to be
heard by P3N and P33W.  Highlight was being called by 6Y3A, PJ2T, WP4A and
KP2MM in quick succession (must have been spotted!)

I tried to keep a running total of zones and countries and so far it looks like
13 and 67 (assuming Z60WW works) - pretty pitiful, especially the zones.  Raw
QSO total is 1100, including 228 DX and 31 non-scoring but always welcome G
QSOs.

Finally, the ETM keyer ran out of battery on Saturday evening.  They'll have
likely been in there for 5 years or more and tend to get forgotten.  Frantic
search produced 2 x suspect AA (need 3).  A second search for a paddle I knew
was somewhere in the shack (wired for the wrong hand of course!) got me back on
the air, but the Orion doesn't provide CQ messages, so it was a long night . .
.

Kit: Orion II and KPA500 (400w), feeding 250ft sloper against a dozen radials,
via a Racal MA144 tuner. Keyer, ETM9C.  Logging by hand as usual.   I  don't
bother with a dupe sheet for CQWW.  There are 3 sessions in a SOSB (160)
operation and quite a few seem to think it's OK to call in each one (well, why
not?!)

The bits for a K9AY loop are still in their bags but at least the support pole
and halyard are up.  Finishing it in time for the SP special is likely to
depend somewhat on the weather!

Thanks to all who called or replied - much appreciated as always.

73, Peter G3LET


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