[3830] CQWW CW K7BG SOAB LP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: K7BG
Operator(s): K7BG
Station: K7BG

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: MT
Operating Time (hrs): 40
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   27     9       12
   80:   92    17       43
   40:  169    29       69
   20:  406    31       89
   15:  281    27       71
   10:  192    26       53
------------------------------
Total: 1167   139      337  Total Score = 1,511,776

Club: Northern Rockies DX Association

Comments:

This is the first time I’ve ever dedicated a full weekend to doing an all band
effort in CQWW. Based with the uncertainty of the status of the station going
forward, I figured I’d better take advantage of the opportunity while the
station is intact. That and the fact that KL2A guest opped the station last
year to around 1.5 mill in LP, I decided that was the class I’d enter and see
if I could get ‘er done as well.

Not being around to monitor the bands much the last few months I really
didn’t have a feel for how’d they’d play.  I had high hopes for 10 meters
pulling some major weight for a good score. I was aware that a CME was a
possibility, but we all hope for the best don’t we? Well, 10 was a
disapointment  from the second most western station in zone 4. I didn’t work
any EU the first morning and the second morning stations were stronger on skew
path to the SE at first, but finally opened up to western EU for some direct
path for a short while. I have a 10-5 mounted on the tower at 65’ facing ESE
for sweepstakes and I thought of climbing the tower to turn it toward EU, but I
was glad I didn’t as it worked to some effect in working the skew path. I had
the Force12 tribander on the other tower that I used when the band opened
direct path.

I spent more time on 20 than I thought I would have because that seemed like
the only band I could do some running on much of the time. I was able to do
some running on 15, but in retrospect I probably should have spent more time
there CQing. I did SO2R so was able to grab stations on the second radio to
some effect the first ¾ of the contest. I found my mind drifting with the
sleep deprivation setting in towards the latter part, however.

Forty seemed pretty good at times, but at other times I couldn’t get much
more than a dididahdahdidit from strong EU stations. I called a handful of zone
24 stations and couldn’t even get a question mark from them on 40. I know I
could have snagged them with some juice, but that’s the world of low power.
The first night I was hearing some Q5 EU stations, but even though I could hear
HP stations all around me getting through I just didn’t have enough signal to
make any EU contacts. The second night on 80 seemed like it was going to go the
same way, but then at sunrise around the Z line all of a sudden I was getting
answered when I called zone 14 and 15 stations! It seemed like if I was hearing
them they were hearing my 100 watts. I even worked a zone 16 station. I heard
OH0V and thought I could work him, but that station I was not able to put in
the log on 80. I sure had a big smile on each time I bagged a new EU mult on 80
with 100 wattoosies. It was really phenomenal condx that I think must have been
one of those positive effects of the sun’s CME mischief.
I heard the RI1ANF pile on 10 meters later on the second day and called a few
times, but figured my time could be spent more productively elsewhere.  I heard
them on 20 a while later and was able to get through the pileup somehow after
several calls. Really fun stuff!

D4C must be the best location on the planet. I think that was the only 6 bander
I had across the pond. Felt great to bag them on 160! I can't believe how well
that station hears. I don’t think I heard any EU at all on 160 except maybe
one of the CR guys.

I never did waste my time trying to CQ on the low bands working all S and P. I
save what running I could do for the high bands.

Thanks for a great weekend.  Looking forward to future possibilities.

All the best in the holiday season to all,

Mattâ€"K7BG

2x IC-765

Ants:
160 - 1/4 sloper from 80'
80  - 4 1/2 sloper switchable array from 80'
40  - 402CD at 95'
20  - 205 at 83' / C3XL at 65'
15  - 15-3 fixed on EU at 55' / TH3 at 30' / C3XL at 65'
10  - 105 at 65' fixed ESE / TH3 at 30' / C3XL at 65'


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