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

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB - 2019

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

Class: SO(A)AB HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 9.9

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:    4     3        4
   80:    9     7        8
   40:   24    10       19
   20:  761    15       59
   15:  636    13       52
   10:    1     1        1
------------------------------
Total: 1435    49      143  Total Score = 806,400

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

I had been very sick for the 2 weeks prior to the contest and was not able to
fix the 160 antenna.  Was not feeling much better during the contest so I
decided to operate when I could and then sleep and try to recover.  There were
some good DXpeditions on and I used DX Summit for DXing to look for 5K0K, VK9NC
and VP6R on bands where I needed them - a total of 5 qsos - hence my claiming
Assisted.  The other 1,430 qsos were made NON-assisted and with one radio in 9.9
hours, spending about 1 hour in total on the low bands.  Cndx were so poor
Friday night that on 80 I had to call 5K0K for about 15 minutes before he
finally heard me and then it took several more tries for him to get my callsign
- he was not hearing anyone else either !

Cndx had been poor prior to the contest with 15 meters briefly opening on
Saturday, leading to some relief from the " moshpit " of 20 which was
especially unruly this year.  Sunday on 20 was even worse - all out warfare with
many stations not even making a pretense of trying to find a spot that was open,
before calling cq endlessly regardless of how many times they were told to qsy.
And still persisting to call cq over a howling EU pileup for someone else which
they clearly heard but ignored anyway. 

One station told me that ALL the frequencies were in use.  So that makes it ok
for you call cq on me and intentionally qrm me and my pileup ?  How about you s
& p for a while if you cant find a run freq. ?   I can just imagine how that
person would feel if I drove my car into his on the highway because I wanted to
get into his lane while he was still in it ?  But - ALL the lanes were in use !

20 meter is incredibly crowded at the bottom of the cycle but that is no reason
why we cant coexist and cooperate with each other.  Certainly our rates will be
better if cooperate and the operating will be more enjoyable for everyone! 

On Sunday I could not wait to qsy to 15  getting there just as it was opening. 
With ZERO sunspots and a K = 2 my expectations were quite low.  But instead of a
few weak signals and then a brief opening like on Saturday, I was treated to a
terrific opening to SW Europe - DL, I, EA, and then ON and PA and back to DL ,
with absolutely SPECTACULAR rates!  The opening to DL reminded me of operating
from the Caribbean 30 + years ago on 15 in the afternoon when the stateside
signals get LOUD and they can hear you well leading to some incredible rates. 
The band just OPENED to DL all at once  - catching me by surprise and I did not
speed up as fast as I should have.  Still it was AMAZING !   My peaks rates were
for the hour 1318z - 1417z were

450 last 10 qsos
366 last 100 qso

  8 qsos in  1 min 
 61 qsos in 10 min
102 qsos in 18 min
152 qsos in 30 min

264 qsos in 60 min

For a while it looked like I was going to be the first US single op to ever have
a 300 hour in a DX contest, but the propagation deteriorated quickly - signals
got weak with heavy qsb and the rate feel rapidly.  Still, it was an
exhilarating 264 hour and one of my best ever from the US.  Not bad for 15 on a
Sunday with ZERO sunspots ! 
 
You just never know what is going to happen in these DX contests  - this is what
keeps me coming back for more each year.  

Thanks for the qsos and mults and a special thanks to all the DXpedition
stations who make the huge effort and expense to travel to another country just
to give us another mult and qsos !

It was great to say hello to so many old friends all over the world.  CU in
CQWWCW !

73

Bob KQ2M

kq2m at kq2m.com


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