[3830] CQWW CW N2IC SOAB HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: N2IC
Operator(s): N2IC
Station: N2IC

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: New Mexico
Operating Time (hrs): 44
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:  109    14       22
   80:  270    26       74
   40: 1054    34      103
   20:  553    35      111
   15: 1257    34      119
   10:  440    27       86
------------------------------
Total: 3683   170      515  Total Score = 7,123,315

Club: 

Comments:

Still in shock-and-awe mode.

With the arrival of the dreaded CME just hours before the start, it wasn't
clear what to expect. I have been through some pretty dreadful conditions in
other CQWW's, but they all have brought unexpected surprises and openings.
Fortunately for all of us, this year conditions were only mildly disturbed on
the first day, and downright superb on the second day.

I was happy to start the contest on 10, running JA. With conditions like this,
I was concerned they would be the only 10 meter JA's of the weekend. That came
to an abrupt halt at 0020Z, with the band closing to everywhere simultaneously.
Moved to 15, and it was off to the races to Asia. That worked until 0200Z, which
I thought was a good sign for things to come. Then down to 20 meters, which was
open to everywhere except Europe. By 0400Z, it was the pre-JA nighttime
regiment of trying to work Europe on 40, 80 and 160. This is where disturbed
condx kill us in the west. Only a handful of Europe worked across their sunrise
period. Fortunately, conditions to far east Asia were enhanced, and fine 40 and
80 meter runs began before 0700Z and continued until sunrise around 1330Z. 20
was also marginally open most of the night, but 5 elements from southwest New
Mexico just doesn't cut it with a "marginal" opening. Meanwhile, just before
sunrise, there was an outstanding opening to JA on 160, with 69 worked in 37
minutes. That is just unbelievable with only a simple vertical on 160.

As the sky grew light in the east, my big question was "what's going to happen
in the daytime" ? I have operated a number of contests under disturbed condx
where the nighttime seems okay, only to have rotten conditions during the
daytime. Fortunately, this was not to be the case this year. 15 opened right at
sunrise with decent, but not outstanding propagation to Europe. Big smile on my
face ! The Europe opening only lasted until 1630Z, but considering the
forecast, I'll take what I can get. 10 was only good for a handful of scatter
QSO's to Europe. Tried to run on 20, but there's just too much daytime
absorption between here and Europe most years. This is one of those situations
where if you must live in the western USA, and want to work 20, the Pacific
Northwest is a much better place to be. The 15 meter JA opening began right on
schedule at their sunrise, shortly followed by a fine 10 meter JA opening.

I took my usual 3 hour nap from 02Z-05Z. When I woke up, 40 was wide open to
Europe, and I began a great 4 hour EU run. 80 was fair to Europe, and I picked
off a number of mults on the 2nd radio as their sunrise moved over. Whatever
disturbance happened on Day 1 was gone ! It was a fun night of EU and JA on 40
and 80, and time passed quickly without any real drowsiness.

Daytime brought improved conditions on 15 to Europe, lasting until 18Z, and
even a limited EU opening on 10. Can't expect much better than that on 10 with
a solar flux of only 121. The last few hours were very productive with good
runs of JA on 15, and lots of new mults on 10, 15 and 20. None of the usual "I
wish this contest was over already".

As a single operator, not using any assistance, my biggest issue continues to
be those DX stations that do not sign their calls often. In fact, some of them
won't even sign their call when asked by the station they are working. This
problem was particularly bad from certain stations operating from the
Caribbean, but whose home QTH is in Zone 16. It is compounded when the pileup
is so used to them not signing their call, that the pileup jumps the gun and
starts calling at the same time as the DX is signing their call ! Argh !

Thanks for the great activity from Asia. This would be a very dull contest
without your support.

73,
Steve, N2IC

Radios: TS-590S (x2), Alpha 76PA, Alpha 76CA
Software: N1MM Logger
Antennas:
160: Vertical, sloping dipole.
80: Wire beam switchable NE/SW. Dipole.
40: 4 el M2 @110', 2 el wire beam NW.
20: 5 el @65'. KT-36XA @75'
15: 6 el @32'. KT-36XA @75'
10: 6 el @35'. KT-36XA @75'

----------------- C o n t i n e n t   S u m m a r y -----------------
                 160     80     40     20     15     10  Total    Pct
---------------------------------------------------------------------
North America     28     56     98     75    115     58    430   11.7
South America      7     15     24     43     43     61    193    5.2
Europe             0     45    354    257    582    104   1342   36.4
Asia              69    134    538    144    471    183   1539   41.8
Africa             2     10     11     15     15     14     67    1.8
Oceania            3     10     28     18     30     19    108    2.9
???                0      0      1      1      1      1      4    0.1
--------------------------------------------------------------
Total            109    270   1054    553   1257    440   3683


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