[3830] CQ160 CW K3ZM Single Op HP

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CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW

Call: K3ZM
Operator(s): K3ZM
Station: K3ZM

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Virginia
Operating Time (hrs): 30

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1569  State/Prov = 58  Countries = 65  Total Score = 883,509

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

THE CQ 160 ANGEL vs. THE CQ 160 Devil

Alexei, whose call sign is ZZ0XX, was operating in the CQ 160 CW contest from
his eastern EU station early Sunday morning, the second night of the
competition.  His sunrise was approaching.  North America was beginning to come
in very well.  Alexei had compiled lots of points in the competition and was
looking for more.  He decided that the best way to add to his point total was
to find a good frequency and start calling CQ.  It was about 0430Z Sunday
morning.

Alexei came upon a frequency where a North American station in the southeast of
the U.S. was having some very good luck calling CQ and running European
stations.  Alexei heard him work three or four of them.  His signal was one of
the loudest that Alexei had ever heard coming from North America.  This is the
story of what happens next.

CQ 160 Devil:  This is your chance, man!  You can totally steal the frequency
from this loser!  Dump your call sign in there.  Start calling CQ Contest! 
You’ll get answers right away, and you will be off and running.  This
butt-wipe has cleared the frequency for you!  Do you hear any EU stations right
here?  No, of course not.  He has done all the work for you.  Go for it!

CQ 160 Angel:  Oh, Alexei!  I know you will do the right thing.  This station
you hear has just worked about six or seven EU stations while calling CQ.  It
is his frequency.  And this is the Gentlemen’s Band.  You can find another
frequency elsewhere, and you will feel so much better about yourself.  Start
tuning the band for your own frequency.

CQ 160 Devil:  The heck with that!  Where are you going to find a clear
frequency in Europe?!  Those stupid Yanks have no idea what we face here.  Go
for it!  Get in there and start calling CQ contest.

Alexi reaches for his paddle.  The CQ 160 Devil had made some good points. 
Maybe he should just drop in a CQ or two and see what happens.

CQ 160 Angel:  Alexei!  Take your hand away from that paddle!  You know full
well that this is not your frequency.  Your mother would be so ashamed.  Now,
reach for the VFO and start looking for another frequency.

CQ 160 Devil:  Man, stop listening to that old hag!  Remember, you can earn
FIVE QSO POINTS for every station you work here in EU outside of ZZ0.  Do I
need to remind you how many DL stations there are out here?  How do you suppose
that idiot in the Southeast of the United States is accumulating so many points
in this affair?  Exactly!  There is an endless supply of DL stations, and you
get five points for every one of them.  Take the frequency!  It is your duty as
a man!

CQ 160 Angel:  I have so much faith in you, Alexei.  You know that the
objective of this competition is to foster inter-continental QSOs.  That is the
whole point behind the point structure.  Your friend in the Southeast U.S. is
doing exactly that.  Furthermore, he has about the loudest signal coming from
the United States.  You will never work anyone in North America with him there
on this frequency.  You don’t want to steal his frequency for your own
convenience.  I just know you will do the right thing.

CQ 160 Devil:  C’mon, Alexei.  You want to score points!  Start calling CQ
and the frequency will be yours.  There is no way this clown in the U.S. can
compete with you in your own land.  The heck with those 10-pointers.  You’ll
get five points for practically every contact you make.  Go for it!

Alexei is extremely torn.  He glances at his right shoulder and sees the CQ 160
Angel smiling hopefully and brightly at him.  But then he turns to his left
shoulder and sees the CQ 160 Devil.  He knows what he really wants to do.  He
grabs the paddle and starts calling CQ Test.

CQ 160 Devil:  You da man!

CQ 160 Angel:  I’m so ashamed of you, Alexei.


THE COMPETITION

This year, answers from EU were sparse at the outset, but I was able to get
very good rates from NA contacts.  My QSO numbers for the first several hours
were higher than usual, as follows:

126
96
104
95
105
104
76

I had 706 contacts through the first 7 hours, which is about the best I
remember for this contest.

Conditions were lovely to North America on both Friday and Saturday night.  I
worked all my 58 States/Provinces the first night.  Never heard VK or ZL.  A
JA7 called me on Saturday morning but I could not tell which one it was and
never heard another JA.  QRN was relatively low all weekend.  I had a decent
run to EU at their sunrise on Friday night and at bedtime Saturday morning had
put 240 EU’s in the log.  Many, many fills were required for the EU QSOs.  On
Saturday morning, I had 1,061 QSO’s, 58 States/Provinces and 58 countries. 
This was an unusually high QSO total for me at this point, lately.  My score
then was 514,576.

The second evening, I had a pretty good EU run at my sunset.  Then lots of
EU’s during their sunrise period.  Total EU contacts for the weekend was 442.
 I worked about 4 KH6 stations.  A KL7 called me Saturday morning but I just
could not copy his full callsign.

Once again, many nice multipliers from the Carib/South America region.  Best DX
was 7Z1SJ Friday evening.  I missed VE4 and VO2.  With the nice conditions to
the west, I did work several VE7’s over the weekend and several KH6
stations.

In this event, we appear to have defined the limit on my ability to hear.  All
Friday evening I was aware that brother George would be calling me from C6ADM,
putting 5 watts into a short wire running down from the third floor balcony of
his hotel room.  I devoted an inordinate amount of attention to the Southwest
from about 0000Z until 0230Z but never heard a whisper of his signal.  Nephew
Patrick, KK6ZM, had a fine signal from La Jolla.

Many thanks to all who called in.

73,

Peter  K3ZM


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