[3830] CQWW SSB PJ2T M/M HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB - 2021

Call: PJ2T
Operator(s): W0CG K8PGJ ND8L N2BA G4XUM G4BVY M5RIC KL2A NN3W
Station: PJ2T

Class: M/M HP
QTH: Curacao
Operating Time (hrs): 48

Summary:
 Band  QSOs   Zones  Countries
-------------------------------
  160:   203    13       31
   80:  1103    21       89
   40:  3167    33      122
   20:  2945    33      122
   15:  4325    36      121
   10:  3264    29       96
-------------------------------
Total: 15007   165      581  Total Score = 32,430,858

Club: CCC

Comments:

We were careful and respectful of COVID, but doggedly refused to be intimidated
by it, managing to put up a full multi/multi operation with a fully staffed team
of top notch operators.

Getting to this point was not easy. Our original planned SSB team mostly fell
away with concerns about COVID testing procedures, the accompanying bureaucratic
difficulties, and threats of quarantine. Fortunately, we were able to build a
group of ops who were willing to tackle the procedures and get PJ2T on the air
in a big way after losing out on CQWW entirely in 2020 because of travel
restrictions. Our team consisted of three Brits, one Canadian, and six Stateside
operators. The pre-travel requirements were easy to satisfy in the three
different nations of origin, and arrival in Curacao was a breeze with very fast
and efficient in-processing at the Curacao airport. Curacao requires a third day
rapid antigen test, and those requirements were also very easy to meet, with
results provided quickly at the low cost of $20 per person. All COVID tests
incoming and after arrival were negative for the entire team. 

I arrived about two weeks early and went through the usual period of panic and
stress fixing everything that had failed, repairing lightning damage,
un-mothballing the station, and setting up a five station multi/multi. During
this same time we did some major renovations to the QTH including two new
sliding glass doors and two new air conditioners. That was a lot of mess and
disruption, but with beautiful outcomes.

Murphy landed hard on VE4GV, who showed up very early but was still turned away
at the Toronto airport for his Curacao flight because Air Canada was unable to
process their own check-in line fast enough. Thus, our team was down one person.
The remaining ops re-did the operating schedule, covered Rob’s shifts, and
made an excellent score. The team was Ray (ND8L), Brooke (N2BA), Pete (K8PGJ),
me (W0CG), Jon (KL2A), Rich (NN3W), Martin (G4XUM), Roger (G4BVY), and Rich
(M5RIC). The three Brits signed on with short notice, and we are in their debt
for rounding out our team with their superb operating skills, needing virtually
zero learning curve to adapt to the station. Murphy also zapped N2BA, who
suffered a very serious cut on his left forefinger in his first hour on the
ground. Dorothy and I rushed him to the local clinic, and Dr. Sommer saw Brooke
immediately and patched up what he could, sending Brooke home with one usable
arm, the left arm in a sling, and a course of antibiotics. Friday’s follow-up
appointment with the doctor was encouraging, and Brooke was able to operate the
weekend. (His initial one hour medical visit and surgical procedure was $85.00.)
Welcome to Curacao. 

After a roaring first couple of hours, night conditions were rough with
electrical storms in the region, but fortunately not directly on the island.
Still, we were not hearing as we usually do because of the noise, and ended the
night with about 2900 QSOs and lousy 160 and 75 meter mult counts. Refreshingly,
15 and 20 opened early to Europe at around 0630 local, and the runs on the Ridge
antenna system were fantastic. Somewhat later 10 opened solidly to Europe for
the first time in years, and we found ourselves easily running high Europe rates
on what has been a worthless band for years. At the end of the first 24 hours
there were 9004 QSOs in the log, DXCC on 40 and 20, and more QSOs on 15 than any
other band. 

We had spent most of Saturday cowering in fear of a monster storm system that
appeared from the radar to be headed directly for Curacao. The eastern sky was
black much of the day, but nothing happened! The system failed to advance on us,
and it eventually collapsed in early evening lacking enough convective energy to
rev itself up. This was a huge stroke of luck for us.

The second night was better. Bands were quieter, signals louder, and by 1200Z
Sunday morning there were 10,700 QSOs logged with ever growing multiplier
totals. Sunday morning dawned clear, cooler, drier, and with less electrical
noise. The Coronal Mass Ejection event never seemed to hurt us much, and 15 and
10 continued to be very productive throughout the day. We pressed hard to build
the mult totals, worked everyone we heard, but didn’t hear as many as we would
like.

As you see above, the contest ended on a high note, exceeding our hoped-for
total of 14K contacts. I thank all of our operators who were willing to take the
trouble to get here, and who did a magnificent job on the air. Special thanks to
our team chef Ray (ND8L) and to my partner Dorothy Dahlgren, the hardest working
person I know, without whom I could not even consider doing these big events.
And thanks of course to all the members of the CCC club who provide support to
sustain PJ2T. We are BACK, and Murphy, COVID, construction adjacent to our site,
and sorrow over the loss of our beloved members Keith (WA9S), Mal (NP2L), and
Marty (K2PLF) have not knocked us down. Those guys would want us to press
forward, and I hope they would be proud that we have done so. 

Today is the 21st anniversary of the purchase of this QTH from W1BIH (SK). We
have tried to honor and respect John’s legacy and keep his place active and
visible on the bands, and owe everything to him for starting all of this up in
1970.

See you on the CW weekend.

    For the CQWW SSB crew 73, and Happy Halloween,
	Geoff, W0CG / PJ2DX


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