[3830] WPX SSB ES6RW(@ES6Q) SOAB QRP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: ES6RW
Operator(s): ES6RW
Station: ES6Q

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 35

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:   36
   80:   53
   40:  181
   20:  296
   15:   37
   10:    0
------------
Total:  603  Prefixes = 379  Total Score = 449,873

Club: Tartu Contest Team

Comments:

Looks pretty unusual to go for QRP for someone otherwise used to HP, right. The
declining band conditions and broken reflector of the 40 meter main antenna
didn't predict competetive scoring in SO2R HP. Thus, looked at last year's
winning scores and stopped at QRP. Why not still to take advantage of the
antenna farm and discover the world of tiny signals. I have done QRP in local 80
meter field day only and didn't know well what it will look like in a major
contest. Sure, I was prepared to switch to S&P mode, but how many stations
to will come back to my 5 watt signal? Making several DX QSO's before the
contest was encouraging - it seems to work, at least. Yes, but how in contest
enviroment, that has to be seen.

The first thing to start with was to downgrade myself from regular FT5000 to
FT3000 to enable true QRP 5 watts. Just 1 radio and simplified station setup. A
lot of antenna turning instaed of usual switching between the antennas pointed
at different directions. No receiving antennas needed. 

One learns the tips of QRP'ing rather quicly: forget about running even when the
signals are S9 +40 dBs - you will be whiped away immediately by QRO's, S&P
only. Be patient, be very patient to repeat your call and the contest exchange,
in particular in this contest, for dozen times. As a last resort, tell the other
station you are a QRP - this may help. Of course, you will probably be logged as
call/QRP then - perhaps this is still a valid QSO. Generally stations below S9
are not usable but even then the other station may not hear you and continue
calling CQ contest. Avoid pileups as you will be the last station to get
through, if at all. Filling in the bandmap is helpful when returning to the
stations you didn't succeed.

All in all, I am rather happy with the score and do hope my competitors were
running the same power. Will I do QRP again? Maybe. Though it's not my first
choice.

QRP with a tribander and wires or just wires would have been different. Anetnnas
used: 6 ele monobanders on higher bands, 2 el on 40m, 4 el quad on 15/20m, 2 el
quad on 40 m, verticals on 80m and 160m, tribander, loops.

Thanks to everyone who picked me up! CUAGN with more power next time.

73, Rein


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