[3830] ARRLDX SSB W6QU(W8QZA) SOAB QRP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: W6QU
Operator(s): W8QZA
Station: W8QZA

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 13.9

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:    6     4
   40:   17    10
   20:   47    29
   15:   46    29
   10:    9     6
-------------------
Total:  125    78  Total Score = 29,250

Club: 

Comments:

STATION W8QZA:

Radio: Elecraft K-2, 5 Watts.

Antennas:
  10-15-20 Meters: 3 el Stepp-IR up 32 feet
  40 Meters: DX-LB trap dipole up 30 feet
  40-80 Meters: Butternut HF-2V Vertical with 3 radials
-------------------------------------------------------

Well, if there were any doubts about it, we are certainly at or near the bottom
of the cycle. I have entered this contest in the same category since 1991, and
this is the lowest score and lowest no. of Qs I have ever had. My lowest
previous score was 33.4K back in 1997. I had 164 Qs then.  ....wow!

N1MM calls my op time as 13.9 hours, but that is a gross underestimate. I often
went an hour of tuning without a Q, and N1MM calls this "Off time".  A
rough estimate of actual time shows 26.4 hours.

My high point in this contest was not a Q I made but one I heard. Saturday
evening, I was calling TG9ANF when I suddenly heard him work N0KE.  N0KE, Phil,
is a lifetime friend of mine and active contestor and DXer. He suffered a stroke
about two months ago and is in a rehab center. I called him after the Q and,
sure enough,it was him! He has a number of good friends in his area of western
Colorado and they set him up with a rig near his bedside with a wire antenna on
the roof! It was great to hear him back in action!

My best Q was was working JH4UYB on 80 Meters in one call. I have only a handful
of SSB Qs with JA on 80 SSB over the last 20 years. Every one of those Qs has
been a monumental struggle. I was astonished when JH4UYB came back with one call
perfect the first time.  

My other good Q was working E51JD on 10 M. He was not formally in the contest,
but was gracious enough to work me.  We chatted for a while and it was my most
enjoyable Q of the contest!  I also got XR0YD on 15 M.

I often complain about troubles with working Europe from out here on the west
coast, but one advantage we have out here is working to the west on 10 M. That
got me six mults that were not available to those in the central USA.

My DXCC was 43 (adding VE & W) and my WAZ was 20 (adding 3, 4, &5). A
couple yrs ago those two numbers were 70-90 and 26-28.

I did manage 8 Qs into Europe, all on 20! That compares to 1 last year. 82 of my
125 Qs were off continent.

It was a rough slog.  And, by the stats, the worst ever going back to 1991! But,
oddly, it was still fun!

See you in WPX SSB!   Bill  W8QZA - W6QU


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