[3830] CQWW CW N7WA SOSB/20 HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: N7WA
Operator(s): N7WA
Station: N7WA

Class: SOSB/20 HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 21

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:    0     0        0
   80:    0     0        0
   40:    0     0        0
   20:  982    33       95
   15:    0     0        0
   10:    0     0        0
------------------------------
Total:  982    33       95  Total Score = 329,728

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Comments:

This contest will be one to remember. I had high expectations coming in to this
week. That was, until sunspot 1618 rotated into view and developed flare
capability. Then, just as it was pointed at the the earth, it let a couple go.
In retrospect, the effects weren't too bad but we didn't know that going into
the weekend. I usually do SO20 LP because I can be competitive but I decided to
go high power instead. If the possibility was for crappy conditions, I wanted to
be loud(er) and try to have some fun. And fun it was... for a while. By the time
20M died Friday night, I had over 300Q's and a nice run into Japan and Asia.

Saturday morning wake-up came at 3AM but there wasn't anything special going on
so I went back to bed for a couple more hours. Things started looking up around
5AM. Europe was workable. They were raspy (probably auroral effects) but I put
72 Q's in the log that first hour. The second hour and third hours were both
over 110 Q's and we were rocking. Mind you, this is the Pacific NW, and we
don't get a lot of this (especially if you run low power). I had a
you-know-what eating grin plastered all over my face. The 10 minute rate meter
kept bouncing up to 200+ for short periods but the 100Q meter was a steady
100+. Alas, all good things come to an end. The fourth hour was "only" 80 - a
European rate I would usually kill for - as things slowed down to normal from
then on.

Now for a gripe that is only exceeded by the non-IDers. Why, when someone is
obviously running DX, do some stateside stations decide that's the time to fill
in their stateside zones? I'm desperately trying to copy a mini-pileup of weak
stations and a booming 10 over zero pointer decides he needs zone 3 right now.
I can't ignore this because it covers up everything else. So I work the zero
pointer and, when done, the pileup has frequently moved on and I have to start
building it over. When I call someone as a zero pointer, I usually make sure
they've haven't been working others for several CQ's. I'm glad to work 'em - we
all need them, just think about the timing. 

The rest of the day was good. I don't usually do high power so I don't have
much to compare against. I did exceed all my rate goals but they were based on
previous low power efforts. Btw, did I mention... we were having fun? As 20M
died for Saturday night, I was just short of 1000 Q's, had 33 zones, and 95
countries. I think I was set up fine for Sunday. After a short chat with Danny
K7SS, I headed out of the shack...

...to find my wife doubled up in pain headed to the shack. Feeling nauseous, I
got her into the bathroom where she emptied her whole GI tract. (I figured that
was prettiest way to say it.) She felt pretty good after that so we figured it
was food poisoning (she had brought home one of those hot pre-cooked chickens
while I was contesting). Then the bleeding started so off to emergency we went.

Long story short, the diagnosis was colitis and a stay in the hospital. She'll
be ok. Needless to say, my contesting was over as of Saturday night and this
will not be one I soon forget. My wife swears it wasn't a plot to get me off
the air <grin>.

Other stuff. Worked about 230 JA's (thanks!). Worked 103 zero pointers (over
10% of my contacts were zero pointers - not counting dupes). Over 100 Russians.
Over 80 Germans. Ten mainland Chinese was unusual too.


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