[3830] WPX SSB KQ2M SO(A)AB HP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: KQ2M
Operator(s): KQ2M
Station: KQ2M

Class: SO(A)AB HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 5.8

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:    0
   40:    0
   20:  209
   15:  642
   10:    1
------------
Total:  852  Prefixes = 546  Total Score = 1,126,944

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

After being severely ill and missing both modes of CQWW and ARRLDX (the best
condx of Cycle 24) I doubted that I would be able to get on for WPXSSB, my
favorite contest. But on Saturday evening I was feeling a little better and
well enough to go down to the shack and try to operate for a little while.  I
chose low activity - low rate hours to operate.  Saturday evening on 15 had a
good opening to JA and A71BX called in - the opening was brief and then I tried
20 for what I hoped would be a good opening to Central Asia, but I was able to
work a few Middle Eastern stations ( tnx A65BP and A61ZX ), a few UA9/0's,
UK8OM and mostly Southern EU stations.  I was very tired and went qrt at
0236z.

I got on 20 SSB at 1143z and mostly struggled - there were some loud JA's but
not many.  The EU opening was very marginal - I did not realize that there had
been a solar flare overnight.  With the K=4, 10 was completely dead, so I tried
to run on 15.  15 was mostly quiet - not a good sign for a band that should have
been wide open. ( On Saturday I had made my one qso on 10 - I used DX Summit to
find 7QAA.  10 was wide open at the time but I was not feeling well enough to
run. ) I had hoped that 10 would be open on Sunday.  Nope.

Since it was Sunday morning and I was fresh meat, I expected a pileup. Not much
happened until the big EU multis found me - then all of a sudden the average
signal strength increased from S7 to S9 +20!!  The fact that 5 of them found me
almost simultaneously made it clear that I had been spotted.  :-)

The rate soared to about 350 for the last 10 and I had a 211 hour - one of my
best ever in WPXSSB.  200+ hours are very tough and quite rare from stateside
when you have to copy the serial numbers from a lot of weak stations in qrm and
heavy qsb.  So I was pretty happy to have that experience.  I tired quickly and
qrt'd at 1322z.  I tried again at 1555z but 15 was dying.  I came back on at
2300z and 15 had recovered enough for a modest JA run.  The highlights of which
was getting called by Champ, XW1IC on a second band and 7QAA calling me in the
NULL of my 15 elements pointed at Japan, for band #3 in the contest!  Given my
choice of hours to operate with somewhat marginal conditions, I was pleasantly
surprised to make 852 q's in 5.8 hours for a 147 average!

During the contest I noted a frequent loud swishing sound on 15 primarily in
the lower part of the band - it would come up on me and move up in frequency
until it was gone and then would repeat every minute or so.  Very annoying. 
Also, there was a frequent appearance of what sounded a lot like the old
Russian woodpecker - but weaker and not quite as wideband.  Both of these forms
of qrm were very persistent and I observed them for many hours on Sunday on 15.
Hopefully something can be done about them. 

I wish that I could have operated longer in my favorite contest but I was not
well enough to do so.  Still, it was great to get on in a contest for the first
time since IARU - WRTC last July and say hello to so many friends!  I claimed SO
Assisted since I used DX Summit to find 7QAA and two of my friends to get them
the rare KQ2 mult.

Thanks for all the qso's!  I hope to be well enough to get on for a few hours
in WPXCW.  Happy Passover and Happy Easter to all! 73  Bob KQ2M  

kq2m at kq2m.com
www.kq2m.com
www.rlsfinancialgroup.com


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/