[3830] CQWW CW K0MD SO(A)AB HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW - 2020

Call: K0MD
Operator(s): K0MD
Station: K0MD

Class: SO(A)AB HP
QTH: Mn
Operating Time (hrs): 15
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   34     8        9
   80:   41    13       22
   40:  215    26       73
   20:  391    31       79
   15:  279    27       73
   10:   66    13       27
------------------------------
Total: 1009   118      283  Total Score = 1,101,948

Club: Minnesota Wireless Assn

Comments:

Let me first say a word of gratitude that so many of us are alive and able to
operate this weekend during a global pandemic which has claiming so many lives.
As a physician, I have wondered each month at work if I may become the next
statistic of COVID-19.  Our own contest club has lost several members since last
year's CQ WW CW to COVID-19.  May they rest in peace and may all in our hobby
who have become silent keys rest in peace.  We missed your keys during this run
of CQ WW CW.

Goals for the contest: 1000 QSO's and 1 million points. I had limited time to
operate as I had to attend a funeral of one of my long-time patients and a close
friend this afternoon in Wayzata, MN.

Goal of every CQ WW contest: 4 band DXCC and 1 - 2 million points. I had high
expectations with this contest due to the increase in the SFI.

Operating time: 15 hours, limited by (1) Stop time of 130 PM Sunday afternoon,
(2) sub-optimal/poor antennas for 160-80 just not facilitating many 80 and 160
QSO's despite BIC and (3) work-related stuff not giving me adequate rest before
the contest.

Good news: No equipment failures!

Rigs: Icom 7851 and 7800
Antennas: Yagi stacks 10-40, 80 meter 4 SQR (using compromised vertical dipoles)
and a compromised 160 vertical.

Observations:  It was fun to have propagation to EU and Africa on 10 meters, it
was great to see 15 meters open to the world and 20 meters was very crowded both
days.

I had good success Friday night on 40 working the world. I was not able to work
the middle East or China on 40, suggesting some opportunities for antenna
improvement.

My 10-20 "stack" work well: I made many of my QSO's on first call S/P
on each band. It is nice to have rates using S/P that are 100/hour.

Runs were limited as I could not get any run to go even an hour on 10-20.  The
lack of spotting within the US Community and the US stations who call for ZERO
points while we force Eu and Asia to QRX likely drives down QSO numbers when
running. I do not understand by Slovenia gets points for working Slovakia, or
English stations working Scottish stations,  while Minnesota does not get points
for working California, despite the longer distances and propagation challenges.


Achievements: 
--1.1 million points for less than a full-time effort, 
--1000+ QSO's, 
--107 unique countries worked, 
--34 CQ zones worked
--Missing zones: 18, 23, 26, 29, 34, 39

Work list for 2021, as time and finances allow:
1. Upgrade the 80 meter antenna arrays
2. Upgrade the 160 meter antenna option
3. Upgrade the 40 meter yagis

Thanks for the QSO's and all the dit dits from friends globally. My
congratulations to CE3CT who had an amazing score from Chile, K0KX with an
amazing score using an inverted L with low power and N0AV, W0GJ who had awesome
scores from Iowa.

A big Thank you Shout out to P40 W, TI7W, VP5K and C6AGU for hearing me in the
midst of intense pile-ups on the first or second call.

Mystery of the contest: I worked a P50o while running, who confirmed the call on
CW when queried. Was North Korea on?

Scott K0MD


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