Topband: CQ Contest Conditions

[herbs@surfvi.com]

Dear Topbanders,

Although I was able to work more than over 60 countries (which means that Jeff
VY2ZM got 120!) my Q-rate on 820 was way below the 1000 contacts that John
KP2ZZ (G4RCG) did from my QTH last year.(He was at V26G this year.)  I had
added more RX antenna's and even the DXE reversible for something at 40 degrees
azimuth.  Even though WAC was easy on the first night I had at times trouble
cracking through to the big Euro's and Euro's had trouble reaching.


What has changed?

Well for one thing in  past years there was always a time period when I could
get a good run of European stations going 100 to 200 in the log in less than 90
minutes.    Not so anymore.  Not that I could not hear them nor they hear me
but in what I have been able to determine is that overseas the band was just
loaded with Euro's working Euros and on this side USA working USA.  Without the
"lebensraum" in the narrow DX spectrum (with the hundreds of stations call cq
or each other)it was close to impossible to hold on to any spot.  Sometimes
trying to move to a clear RX 100hz up or down was met with a MOVE, PSE NOT
HERE, QRM, QSY, from another station.  Working split would only have made
things worse.

So what is the solution, IMHO there is still plenty of fun in this contest
especially if your goals are WAS or chasing, zones, etc.  There is little one
can do to control the variations in conditions from day to day.  They have been
worse and I have done better...and they have been much better and I have done
worse. It seems I can do the best when there is huge huge solar flare causing
more southerly skew arrrivals and about 50 db of auroral attentuation for VY2ZM
of course.

Yet still it appears that the CQ WW 160 CW is still the #1 topband event of the
year, although it can end up as a disappointment for many, especially those in
equatorial regions of the world like Bob ((V1GO) in YB0 with a transpolar shot
to NA either way.

BTW Rick, K6VVA has created a web site with pictures of my QTH at
www.xgenesis.com with my house right in the center of his picture across from
the saltpond.


73

Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
St. Croix, VI