[3830] WPX SSB KT8K SOAB QRP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: KT8K
Operator(s): KT8K
Station: KT8K

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: EN82ch
Operating Time (hrs): 14:26

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:   34
   40:   16
   20:   37
   15:   36
   10:   11
------------
Total:  134  Prefixes = 116  Total Score = 31,320

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Rough going from the start - all signals were down here, peaking at S7-S9, and
that was enough to make QRP contacts extremely difficult.  I got SO tired of
hearing others just fine and having them hear me not at all.  To make one
successful QSO I would have to scan for 5-10 minutes, stopping to call the
loudest stations (or those most in the clear), and most of them either wouldn't
hear me at all or would try repeatedly to hear my exchange and eventually just
give up, some without comment - they just suddenly started calling CQ "in
my face".  Kind of rude, but folks are exhausted and sleep deprived after
the first night.  

Every QSO was quite hard - conditions were like a few years ago in the depths
of the sunspot minimum - but I tried as much as I could stand to.  Then my
wife, who had been suffering from an intestinal bug for days, was worsening
Sunday morning and I had to take her in to the hospital emergency room.  That
was the end of the contest for me.  Hopefully next year's conditions will be a
lot better.

Thanks to all who strained for my weak signal and patiently asked for repeats
until we got through.  I heard quite a few QSO's where the first exchange was
wrong, followed by the return exchange also being gotten wrong, after which
they fixed the 2nd exchange but never fixed the first one.  People sure get
tired.

Couldn't hear any but the big guns in Europe and Asia - but still 40m was a
zoo.  Hope to catch everyone for a QSO in the CW version in late May.
73 to all, and thanks for enjoying my ham radio song "I want a Big
Tower" at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNWZjzrzgwA&list=UUQfgI_rRySnBLgLlm2scwAA&index=15
  Best reception to all de kt8k -- Tim


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