[CQ-Contest] 160M in CW WPX

[Bill Coleman]

On May 24, 2004, at 7:26 AM, Pete Smith wrote:

> It's been a few years since I last did the CW WPX, and I didn't have a 
> 160M antenna then.  The question, basically, is whether it's worth 
> spending time on 160 and, if so, what sort of schedule people tend to 
> observe?  Do you go from 40 or 80 to 160 during the night at 
> intervals, or???

OK, let me put it this way. At the #1 USA M/M station for WPX CW last 
year -- NQ4I, I was the 160m operator. I worked 85 Qs in two nights. I 
spent the whole night CQing, usually across the top and bottom of the 
hour, with tuning in between. I managed to read four magazines from 
cover to cover in the two nights.

Rates the first night weren't too bad. Most of the Qs were USA 
stations. NQ4I didn't have a beverage antenna last year, so no 
europeans were heard (although the rumour was that the EUs heard us).

Bottom line, you're not going to work a lot of Qs on 160m in WPX CW. 
The incentives are not there due to the rules. Mults are generally a 
by-product of rate, so you aren't likely to work unique mults on 160m. 
Each DX Q will be 4 or 6 points here in North America, same as for 80m 
and 40m. USA Qs are only 1 point.

Tuning through 160m is probably worthwhile during periods of low rate 
on 40m or 80m. Generally, you'll see a few more stations at the top and 
bottom of the hour. Also, you'll work all the 160m fanatics who aren't 
otherwise in the contest. You also might be able to work a few 
interesting stations during the greyline openings.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901