[3830] CQWW CW WX0B(AD5Q) SOAB HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: WX0B
Operator(s): AD5Q
Station: WX0B

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Dallas
Operating Time (hrs): 45
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   25     9       16
   80:  211    19       63
   40: 1084    30       97
   20:  293    30       86
   15:  980    34      109
   10:  394    27       78
------------------------------
Total: 2987   149      449  Total Score = 4,900,610

Club: DFW Contest Group

Comments:

All band CQWW! I've missed the last 2 years because we've been upgrading the
station. Only the 160 antenna is the same, though there are two new receiving
arrays to choose from (HI-Z and a prototype of a new design that Jay's company
will roll out). Both outperform the 600ft beverages we had in 6 directions (we
actually took them down). Inside, the station is more automated. The 4X8
Eightpak and automated BandMaster and FilterMax filters are pretty cool. Both
amps (Acom & OM Power) autotune, and are mounted out of sight.

Propagation has also changed. I haven't done this contest since the long cycle
bottom, and the current cycle may even be past it's peak. 40 was frustrating
through the cycle bottom because we rarely got EU runs. It doesn't take much
solar activity to open the band to Europe, and so I expected great 40M runs at
night. With the flux only in the 120's this weekend, I knew the daytime money
band would be 15 and not 10. It takes a higher flux to really open 10 and keep
it open all morning. My totals reflect that I concentrated on 15 & 40, didn't
spend enough time on 20, and was so tied down by the high rates on 15 that I
couldn't effectively sweep 10 for mults when the EU path was open. That's
something I need to work on.

The 40M EU run the first night was so-so, but the JA's were fine. The 2nd night
was spectacular, with lots of activity from Russia. The path swept across
Europe, and then Japan opened. Throughout the run, I rotated the 2nd radio,
sweeping 20, 80 & 160. There wasn't much on 160. But there was a problem: Going
into Sunday morning, I had only taken one 1/2 hour nap Saturday afternoon, and I
expected non-stop runs until around noon Sunday to include 15 & 10. Maybe I
could last that long without a 2nd break.

Reality set in at 1054z during the 40M JA run. A weak guy called, and I
couldn't muster the concentration to dig him out of the noise. Brain was fried.
There was no way I could last until noon, and JA rates only build as sunrise
approaches. I immediately walked away from the run and took a half hour nap, so
that I could resume the JA run and catch its peak.

Fog set in. If you take a short nap when the body needs a long one, it's a
recipe for delirium. Much of my brain refused to wake up. I had forgotten how
to use the software and couldn't figure out the steps needed to log contacts.
An additional half hour passed before I made my first contact and somehow
started running. I still wasn't all there, didn't know WTF I was doing, and
lost focus on strategy, propagation, and especially SO2R. For about 10 hours I
was fighting fatigue, unable to fit SO2R into my routine. I missed the sunrise
peak on low bands, long path mults on 20 & 40, and band sweeps of 10, 15 & 20
for much of the day. I definitely lost some ground here. After a half hour nap
Sunday afternoon while the bands were slow, I was finally back in my SO2R
groove. In the last 4 hours, new mults were everywhere, and I finished strong
with a good JA run on 15.

Overall, we are happy with the score. The tweak to my off-time strategy will be
easy. I also need to figure out how to sweep a 2nd busy band for mults when
rates are 150+ (with spikes well over 200 and even 300+) on the run band.

We are ready for next year. The antennas are loud.

Roy -- AD5Q


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