[3830] CQWW SSB WX3B M/M HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB - 2021

Call: WX3B
Operator(s): WX3B WA3AER N8IVN W4IPC NE3K N3FZ WR3R N3SB
Station: WX3B

Class: M/M HP
QTH: Maryland
Operating Time (hrs): 46:13

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   39     8       20
   80:  483    19       80
   40:  561    28       98
   20: 2061    37      120
   15: 1845    34      118
   10: 1006    24       93
------------------------------
Total: 5995   150      529  Total Score = 11,194,673

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

What a SURPRISE weekend of intense FUN we had!!

Like many others, I heard the gloom and doom prediction of the solar flare that
hit on Thursday wreaking havoc on the bands by Saturday or Sunday.  On Friday
night, we did get off to a very slow start and even thought we heard Aurora on
some of the signals.  

On Saturday morning, however, the best way to describe the way the bands sounded
was:  ENHANCED!!   I definitely was understaffed for the EARLY openings of 10
& 15 meters.

I would like to make a special mention of our two new guest operators that did
this event for the first time at WX3B.  

Bryan, N3FZ (a neighbor and friend) is busy building his own competent station
in Westminster MD - and this was his first trip to WX3B for a big DX contest. 
Bryan bravely faced 40 meters and had a great time running Europeans right
before the contest.  Once the contest started, however, that got far more
difficult!!  Still, it was great to have Bryan join our team and I understand he
had a very spirited run on 15 meters from his own house on Saturday.  Welcome,
Bryan!

First time ever Guest #2 was young Connor, W4IPC (age 19).  
For those of you that already know Connor, it should come as no surprise that
this "young" old man has serious skills.  Connor easily logged more
operating hours than anyone (including the author of this message).  Connor is
also a gifted operator and had an INCREDIBLE run on 15 meters Saturday morning. 
It was a sight to behold, and Connor captured top brass for the fastest
rate/hour in this contest logging 266 QSOs on 15 meters his first hour on that
band.  I also enjoyed Connor learning and teaching me some features of my new
radios.  Thank you, Connor for making the 12+-hour round trip and joining our
team!
Gary, WR3R brought his new radio FTDX-101mp over to my house and installed it on
160 meters.  He also spent a lot of time on 75 meters…and the other low bands.
 Gary promised he would quit early both nights, yet he stayed in the chair until
after 6:00am both mornings.   Rumor has it he was in the chair until 8:00am
Sunday morning.  Gary also led the charge  on 75 meters to a record QSO and
country count in this event.  STRONG WORK, GARY!

My good friend Steve N3SB came over Friday night and got hooked on the low bands
as well.  Steve’s specialty was tuning for fresh meat (no shortage of that
Friday night) and working it before it was spotted.   He would then spot it, sit
back and enjoy the huge pileups he didn’t have to break himself to make the
QSOs.  Steve’s Friday night performance was instrumental in generating at
least 100 of the Friday night QSOs.

Dennis N8IVN was our Saturday relief operator and enjoyed an afternoon and early
evening of radio fun.  Dennis has been a WX3B team member for over 10 years now
and is eagerly plotting and planning a major station upgrade at his own home –
his very own AB/577 with a Yagi and wires hung from it.  Dennis, your radio life
is about to change in a major way.

After this weekend’s blast of SSB, Ted WA3AER says he might just be becoming
more interested in CW contests, yet his performance Sunday night on 20 and 40
meters proves otherwise.  Ted actually DID get 40 meters to work – it was the
best run on 40 we had during the entire contest.   40 meters is a tough band at
WX3B, there is no question CQWW DX SSB begs for a Yagi at 100+ feet!!  Thanks
Ted, for sticking to it and making those QRM filled QSOs!

Geoff NE3K arrived Sunday and began what he was sure would be a leisurely stroll
on 10 meters, surely it couldn’t be open both days.  Guess what?  WRONG!!  10
blew WIDE OPEN – a full and real first European opening of this current
sunspot cycle, and he was immediately dismayed that some zone 5 signal he
couldn’t hear was stealing his run frequency.  On 10 meters, this is not a
problem, so Geoff QSYed high in the band to a clear spot and immediately started
CQing again.  Geoff was rewarded with the SECOND highest rate-hour in this
contest:  254 QSOs.  Way to go Geoff!!  And 10 meters is JUST GETTING STARTED
this cycle!!  Lots more opportunities for you to break 300 QSOs in one hour.

This is the second best result our team has had in this contest, and it was
2014, the peak of the last sunspot cycle when we had 12.75m points vs. our 11.2m
points in this event.  I am very pleased with the results.  I am looking forward
to the rest of the 2021/2022 contest season with enthusiasm for the new,
enhanced high band conditions.  
 
Part of the joy of this competition was the ruthless and close race with David
Robbins K1TTT and his team.  We pulled ahead of them for most of Saturday but
his team took the lead back Saturday night and we just couldn’t close the gap.
 The CQ Contest scoreboard was once again, a VERY motivating factor during our
contest.

A hearty thank-you to all the operators that call us year after year and
encourage us to keep going.  It was nice hearing so many familiar call signs.  
73,

Jim Nitzberg    WX3B


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