[3830] WPX SSB VA7BEC SO(A)AB LP

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CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: VA7BEC
Operator(s): VA7BEC
Station: VA7BEC

Class: SO(A)AB LP
QTH: NR VANCOUVER
Operating Time (hrs): 30

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:   38
   40:  101
   20:  443
   15:  339
   10:    9
------------
Total:  930  Prefixes = 455  Total Score = 1,049,230

Club: Orca DX and Contest Club

Comments:

The great thing about a WPX contest is that it's anyone/anywhere, so if I miss
the lucrative but typically fleeting opening to EU or auroral activity hinders
over-the-pole Qs, I can offset the lackluster EU component with a couple of
good JA runs, which may also attract the notice of stations in other parts of
Asia, and then enjoy steady responses to my CQs from stations across the US and
Canada. Lately, however, the JA component of my log is rather thin, so I was
counting on interest from within North America. And I got it. Thank you!!
Conditions were definitely challenging. I know I'm stating the obvious, but
even when statistics indicate a band is closed, I figure there's bound to be
someone somewhere calling CQ and/or listening and hoping to hear CQ. With that
in mind, I checked 10m every so often. I heard nothing, not even any one-sided
QSOs. I called CQ, just in case I might get lucky. Not. And then, on Sunday
afternoon, as if the DX wizard waved a magic wand, CE3CT boomed out of the
noise. This Q was followed by eight more. Only South America though. Still, it
was amazing because I had expected no Qs on 10m at all. 

QRM was terrible, maybe because band conditions prevented some particularly
eager operators from realizing that they were totally trampling on frequencies
in use. I'm sure I wasn't the only one to feel that run rates were impacted by
the QRM, made worse by CONDX as operators, myself included, struggled to
confirm callsigns and numbers. But it seems most CQing operators were willing
to spare those precious extra seconds to make sure exchange data was correct.
It does take extra time and effort, and so I'd like to thank everyone who
pulled my callsign out of the noise and then stuck with me to get the number,
and I'd also like to thank everyone who answered my CQs and either had to give
the details a couple of times or wait while I went through the process with
another station. Your patience really was appreciated.
I didn't reach my self-inflicted target of 1,000 and my score is lower than
last year, but I'm satisfied with the results given the challenges. Very happy
for each and every Q in the log.
It's always nice to hear familiar callsigns and exchange a friendly 'hello'
along with callsign + number, too. Definitely lifts my spirits when I'm getting
discouraged. 
33 (to the YLs) and 73/88 (to the OMs),
Rebecca VA7BEC


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