[3830] CQ WW RTTY W6QU(W8QZA) SOAB QRP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY

Call: W6QU
Operator(s): W8QZA
Station: W8QZA

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: San Diego, CA
Operating Time (hrs): 27

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Pts   State/Prov  DX   Zones
------------------------------------------
   80:    9    11        7       2     2
   40:   38    62       17       5     6
   20:   49   105       15      19    14
   15:  169   358       31      47    24
   10:  234   559       32      51    20
------------------------------------------
Total:  499  1095      102     124    66  Total Score = 319,740

Club: Southern California Contest Club

Comments:

Rig: Yaesu FT-817

Antennas:

10-15-20  3 el SteppIR up 32 feet
40        DX-LB trap dipole up 32 feet
40-80     Butternut HF-2V Vertical
____________________________________________

After 25 years of QRP contesting, this was my first RTTY contest effort. I was
DELIGHTED to see that a major contest has decided to have a QRP category!!! 

I was "all thumbs" the first hour, and I apologize if some of the stations I
worked didn't make it into my log. EF8M would not work me later saying I was a
dupe, but he is not in my log and I apologize for that. When I work from TI5N I
have learned to work and log ALL callers, even when my program shows them to be
a dupe. If it is a dupe it does not hurt my score and it may save me an "NIL".

I really liked the op who had built "Yo!!" into his macro instead of TU when he
answered my call. Then, after copying my exchange he used "Sweeeet!!!" instead
of QSL. That certainly broke up the routine and made me laugh!

I have needed DE now for about a year to complete my LoTW RTTY WAS. When I
worked one during the contest I was ecstatic, ....until I checked and saw that
he has never uploaded a log to LoTW in his life!

Condx were great, as everyone knows. On 10 M I worked stations from 28175 all
the way down to 28060.

20 meters suffered in this contest for me because condx were always so good on
10 and 15. My 1st Qs into Eur on 15 M were at 15 min after sunrise and on 10 M
were at 45 min after sunrise.

Best Qs:  JT5DX, CP1FF, VR2XMT near the end of the contest, and NH2T on
10-15-20 for zone 27. I also snagged a zone 18. 

I was only able to run once, and that was for 15 stations on 10 M. VP9I woke me
up when called me in that run for my only Q with VP9!  This one short run may
not sound good to most ops, but that is actually better than I do in most CW or
SSB contests.

General stats: DXCC 66, WAZ was 27.  Europe was 34% of my Qs, a measure of how
good condx were. At the bottom of the cycle I can do some major contests where
I don't work a single European station from out here on the west coast.

For this contest, I took off 6 hours each night to sleep. At 72 yrs old, I find
it tougher to go on 3 or 4 hours of sleep. I also had to take off 5 hours
Saturday evening to baby-sit our two grandsons. The N1MM computer added in a
few other 1/2 hour breaks to come up with my 27 hour op time. 

A very special thanks to my long time friend Phil (N0KE) who took my frantic
phone call about 2 hours before the contest and was fantastic in helping me set
up N1MM for RTTY!  Mny TKS, Phil!!!!

I REALLY enjoyed theis contest and I hope the other major RTTY contests
consider adding a QRP category!

73,  Bill Parker  W8QZA / W6QU


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