[3830] CQWW CW P40W(W2GD) SOAB HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: P40W
Operator(s): W2GD
Station: P40W

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 43

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:  387    15       51
   80:  868    22       72
   40: 1037    24       72
   20: 1368    30       90
   15: 1435    32       90
   10: 1358    27       84
------------------------------
Total: 6450   150      459  Total Score = 11,590,000

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

Station:  IC756ProII, Alpha 86
C31XR, Delta 240, C3, 80/160 Inv. V,  3L 80M wire beam EU, 4L 40M wire beam EU,
160M vert. Dipole, Beverages EU, USA, E/W, N/S.

Arrived a week early to do some much needed tower and antenna repairs.  In
August one of my 20M towers collapsed - folded over  in the middle from
corrosion, taking with it the C3 tribander, 160M vertical dipole, and the
catanary for the 80 and 40M wire beams.  So tower repair was the high priority
work item on this trip.  Managed to salvage several Rohn 25G sections from the
'weeds' and with some cutting, welding, cleaning and painting three replacement
sections went in the air with the help of my host and visitor R5GA/P40F. 
Entirely reguyed the tower with Phillystran (thanks NR5M) so maintenance will
be minimized in the years ahead. 

By Thursday afternoon things were about ready with all of the antennas working
and station setup nearly complete.  Turned everything off and headed to
Thanksgiving dinner with P49Y, P40F, P43A and P43L.  Upon return the ACOM 2000A
would not start up....spent nearly 6 hours trying to diagnose and make repairs
without success.  Managed just 3 hours sleep the night before the contest.  Up
early Friday morning to do more amp diagnostics but finally gave up.  My
neighbors P49Y/P40L offered use of a spare Alpha 86 which I gladly accepted
(TNX again to AE6Y & W6LD).

Three hours before the contest, my laptop had a Hard Drive crash (permanent
failure).  Well, now its a race against time to secure a replacement logging
computer, and then load and configure software, etc.  I'd already decided to
enjoy a 'beach weekend' if I couldn't secure computer logging resources.  My
host offered his laptop but like all new PCs, no serial or LPT ports.  So I
downloaded N1MM, the latest CTY file, and SCP from the internet and had it all
working as a standalone logging solution 30 minutes before the bell.  BUT I had
no USB interface devices to integrate the computer with the XCVR and keyer.

The next 48 hours were a real throughback to the early 80's.  Operated the
entire contest manually, sending every dit and dah of every CQ and every
callsign by hand, with no memory keyer assistance of any kind.  When was the
last time you did a major CW contest without 'F1 and F2 for CQing and RPT
sending?  Trust me, you really don't want to repeat my experience....it is very
limiting....and adds to the fatigue factor.  

Complicating this was the need to manually change bands on N1MM.  Forgot to do
this several times, but fortunately caught the error within 20 qsos or less in
all but one instance.  I somehow changed mode from CW to PH for about 250
contacts, which was resolved post contest but it made interpreting realtime log
stats a challenge.  I really missed the comfort level I enjoy using Win-Test, in
particular the ability to immediately determine what countries were worked on
which bands.  No doubt I missed dozen's of opportunities to move mults without
this data.

On three hours sleep (no time for the planned pre-contest 3 hour sleep) I
managed to operate the first 8 hours before my taking a 1.5 hour break.  From
Aruba 160 and 80M exhibited above average condx the first night and I probably
spent too much time low band dxing when I should have been running on 40M...but
given the ongoing logging program and rig control issues, I was definitely in
'have fun' mode for the weekend.

160 and 80 noise levels were fairly low.  But not having a full set of
contesting tools at my fingertips and not much rest beforehand....I tried to
pace myself physically...and do what I enjoyed...e.g. running on 160 when I
should have been on 40 or 80.  This is all supposed to be fun right?

The most difficult operating moment was the first visit to 10M about 13z
Saturday.  The EU pileup on 28002 was HUGE, and unrelenting.  Guys, please,
don't exactly zerobeat the RBN/Cluster callout frequency - SPREAD OUT!  It was
a real challenge make sense out of the chaos....and having to pick off stations
on the edges, it certainly reduced rate for everyone.  Later I moved up to 28114
and had many hours of sustained runs near 200/hour. 
 
Took a 1.5 hr nap around 0830z Sat. morning before sunrise. That was just
enough rest to get me through the full day of running but I never felt terribly
good physically.  Hit the wall again at 0530z  Sunday morning and took a 1.5 hr
nap.  Operated for another hour .  Still felt lousy and laid down again "for a
few minutes"  .... and 3 hours later woke up with the sun rising.   At least it
was about dawn and not mid-morning (had no alarm set).  Sunday condx seemed
down, particularly on 10M when compared to Sat.  But the pileups were huge both
days.
 
After the contest had dinner with  P49Y and P40F at Tony Romas.  The baby back
ribs tasted great after a weekend of frozen dinners.  These immediate post
contest debrief sessions are terrific fun and a tradition down on Aruba.
 
Overall it was a rewarding contest week .... all of the work done on the tower
and antennas was a success and made operating P40W a real joy.    
 
I'll be back @ P40W this time next fall for the best contest of the year. 
  
Thanks to everyone for calling in this weekend and to my Aruban hosts for being
so understanding in regard to my contesting compulsion.  
 
73,  John W2GD @ P40W


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