[3830] ARRLDX CW W6QU(W8QZA) SOAB QRP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW - 2020

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

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: San Diego, CA
Operating Time (hrs): 26.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:   35    23
   40:   68    23
   20:  184    60
   15:   51    28
   10:    0     0
-------------------
Total:  338   134  Total Score = 135,876

Club: Southern California Contest Club

Comments:

STATION W8QZA:

Radio: Elecraft K-2, 5 Watts.

Antennas:
  10-15-20 Meters: 3 el Stepp-IR up 32 feet
  40 Meters: 1/4 wave vertical with 3 radials
  40 & 160 Meters: DX-LB trap dipole up 30 feet
  80 Meters: Inverted L with 2 radials
-----------------------------------------------
Well, just like last year, this has been the best of the contests!

I was able to work decent DX on 80 and 40, and worked 71 Europeans on 20 Meters.
I never heard a European on 15, and never heard a station outside W - VE on 10
Meters despite many excursions up there. 

160 M- I heard a strong 4A7S many times on 160 but he just could not hear my 5
watts and low trap dipole!

80 M- I had two QSOs of a lifetime on 80. After years of calling BY stations, I
finally had BG2AUE come back to my call. And it was easy, one go around and he
was in the log! Then the stunner of a lifetime, I called VR2XAN as a throw away.
I can barely work VR on any band at any time. He came right back and we also
completed the Q in one go around! These Qs made the entire contest for me. 80
Meters must have been open right to my back yard! A bit later I worked DU6/N6SS
and that Q is a tribute to his dedication because we went around about 10 times
before he was able to dig me out and get it correct.

40 M- I heard JT1CO calling CQ, and then I heard W6JTI, the great QRP contester,
actually work him. I half heartedly decided to call a few times myself and after
a bit suddenly he got my call. My first JT on 40 Meters in 30 years of QRP
DXing!

20 M- I was able to get into Europe both mornings with Sunday considerably
better than Saturday. The rest of the time was pretty normal stuff.

15 M and 10 M- See above!

DXCC was 67 (without W - VE) and WAZ was 23 (without 3 & 4). This is a bit
worse than last year. My score, however, was about 14% higher than last year,
and I had about 10% more Qs.

Those 4 Qs on 40 and 80 made the contest for me. The inverted L on 80 has been a
game changer. I would have never thought that I could get DXCC countries on
these bands that I was not able to get on the higher bands.

I am now using the Winkeyer USB for CW. It is tough to set up, but it works
beautifully. My laptop generated CW was sketchy, and after struggling through
one contest with it I got the Winkeyer which solves that problem completely. I
heard several stations that probably could have used it!

See you in ARRL SSB!  Bill  W6QU - W8QZA


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