[3830] CQWW SSB K0MD SOAB(A) HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: K0MD
Operator(s): K0MD
Station: K0MD

Class: SOAB(A) HP
QTH: MN
Operating Time (hrs): 40

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:    6     4        4
   80:   59    13       35
   40:  284    32       87
   20:  313    30      103
   15:  465    35      122
   10:  572    32      123
------------------------------
Total: 1699   146      474  Total Score = 2,874,940

Club: Minnesota Wireless Assn

Comments:

What a contest! I wish band conditions could be like this all the time! 

Station:  Icom 7800, Acom 2000a, Force 12 C49XR Stack at 100/40, Force 12
Magnum 240 N at 110 ft, Force 12 Magnum 160vx2 vertical and a wire dipole for
80, all organized by an Array Solutions 8-Pak switch with bandmaster - Fully
Automated station!

Usual contest planning with W0GJ and N0IJ, my contest mentors but a big weekend
for W0GJ as it was the inaugural contest for his new station. 

I took the lessons from Contest U - I put my goals in writing (2,000,000
points, 2000 QSO's, DXCC on 10-15-20-40 and 30+ hours of contesting time), I
put together a strategy for the contest and I periodically stopped and compared
my progress with the plan.

I started off as SOAB but after 16 hours gave up on it and went to assisted.  I
really had not planned to go unassisted but three computers would not work with
the rig on Friday and get packet cluster spots. I still need to trouble shoot
it. At lunchtime Saturday, my 10 year old son found an old netbook like PC
which I was able to use with N1MM and the rig, and everything started playing
perfectly.

I had the usual post-work week fatigue and had to sleep some on Friday night -
no surprise! Saturday, I was able to spend most of the day on the air doing
what our contest group urges us: BIC!

I still am working on my low band antennas - the four square needs repair that
I procrastinated this summer and did not get around to and the 160 vertical
continues to undergo design changes by Tom Schiller, N6BT. But, they worked
very well. I could not believe I worked Africa and Hawaii on 80 Sunday morning.
 This bodes well for the CQ CW Contest I hope!

The Force 12 C49 stack continue to amaze me.  This is the tribander to have!

The 10 meter monobanders are 14/14 and they outperform all my expectations. I
can use the spotting cluster packets and work one station after another on
usually the first call.  They are great to run with as I was consistently told
that I was 10 to 20 over in Europe! 

I think 15 meters is my secret weapon - the 7/7 stack from the C49 worked the
world with ease and I had some fun runs on 15.

The 20 meter stack is 4/4 on a 49 ft boom, so OWA before OWA was cool.  I also
have a loud signal on 20 but did not run - 20 gets so wild with this contest.

I made my goal of DXCC on 10-20 with strategic use of my time.  I was
handicapped from the start by not using the cluster for the first 16 hours.  I
barely missed 100 countries on 40, largely due to poor execution on Friday
night.

Propagation was wonderful from my perspective - one W7 station told me he was
depressed waiting on the propagation to emerge and I told him I was having the
best propagation in years at my QTH. Hopefully it improved for him.

Goals for the station now include getting the 4 square repaired and running
next Spring and modifying the 160 vertical per Dr Schiller's prescription.  

The new amp - the Acom 2000 a is the closest thing I have ever owned to a
sports car. I have to idle it back all the time -30 to 40 watts will drive it
to 1400 easily. It followed me instantly on the bands and I was always ready to
QRV.  Acom makes a great product.

Bottom line:

Goal                       Achieved?
2,000,000 points             Yes
2000 QSO's                   No
DXCC on 10                   Yes
DXCC on 15                   Yes
DXCC on 20                   Yes
DXCC on 40                   Yes

5/6 achieved. Glad we have CQ WW CW to go.


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