[RSM] K3KU in WPX SSB

[Art Boyars]

I post my results and comments to RSM only when I can make some connection
to the Club.  Here goes.

SOLP.   Sporadic operation Saturday night and Sunday; 6:32 total time.

160M  Zilch (Heard NN1C trying to run people I could not hear.  QRN)

80M  137 QSOs (Only real fun)

40M   79 QSOs (The loud Europeans can hear, too)

20M    22 QSOs (What a mess!)

15M    16 QSOs (Short openings; Brazil QSO Party)

10M   Was there an opening?

WPX SSB is a 48-hour phone contest, with a premium for working DX and with
an extra premium for being loud.  I.e., no QTH effect for being in, say,
MB, ND or ONN; the only way you can run is by being one of the louder
signals on the band.  Hence, I start with four strikes against me, and
there is no way I can be competitive.  But a phone contest is better than
no contest so I sucked in to putting in a low-stress effort to have some
fun (if I could copy SSB, it would be a lot more fun).  Besides, I love
working W/VE, and I don't get very upset if the DX can't hear me.

Speaking of working Canada, the RAC Canada Day Contest is only three
months off, and I figured could use this 'Test to check out the station and
the op on phone... and to try to create a presence in Canada.  To that end,
on most of my Canada QSOs I said "Hope to see you on Canada Day.  I'll be
making a big effort."

I did work a bunch of Canadians, some unfamiliar, mostly Ontario,
including VE3CX (two bands, easy QSOs).  I found VE4 Golf Vik-tor steaming
along on 20M (easy), but no other RSM that I recognized.  (In WPX a lot of
people use "other" calls to try to be a rare prefix.)

Overall, the 'Test was not enough fun to keep me in the chair. I did spend
the last 30 minutes  happily running W/VE on 75M.  With ten minutes left I
got spotted, and got called by Croatia, Slovenia, and England. That was a
highlight.

The lowlight was tuning down 20M, hearing and working a loud Hungarian, and
then noticing that I was on 14.143 MHz (out of the USA band). I left
the QSO in my log so the Hungarian would not get an NIL and because I did
make the QSO ("You lid!"). Maybe I'll get DQ'ed; I deserve it.

Speaking of Canada Day, I do hope to make a big effort.  I'll be looking
for you, and for all your friends across Canada (hint, hint).  Maybe I can
repeat last year's  unrecognized Highest SOLP Score Outside Canada; a small
compensation for not being able to QSY to Winnipeg.  Miss you guys.

73 and be well and be safe.

Art K3KU/VE4VTR