[UK-CONTEST] G5W (G0WAT ) Score for CQ WPX SSB SOABHP

[Paul Brice-Stevens]

Callsign      : G5W
Operator: G0WAT
Claimed Score : 3,077,184

Contest    : CQ WPX Contest

Contest Exchange (Zone, District) :
                160m    80m     40m     20m     15m     10m     Total

Valid QSOs:     39      177     202     551     481     366     1816
Total Ctrys:    21      83      102     236     145     117       704
Total Points:   79      507     697     1055    1103    930     4371


S'funny but in the years that I have been contesting I have nearly
always done multi op for SSB events and this was my first real go at
SOABHP...so quite pleased with the results as I consider myself (however
lame my actual abilities) really a CW op rather than a voice one...this
was one fun contest however condx were a bit odd at times and the shack
I was using although good is very noisy on LF and for some reason
(unless everyone else found this) also 10m was very noisy...some great
runs into the States which is always a treat, worked quite a few QRP
ops...theres a lot of FT 817's out there!...did not manage to be on the
whole event so I suppose I did about 32 hrs operating even though the
log shows I was on for 35hrs...various amounts of dithering around and
quite a while spent doctoring the log at about 5.00am on the Saturday
morning  I realised that when I had set the computer time just prior the
off I had rather dozily put in 11 something hrs rather than 23
something...at this wee hour in the morning I just happened to glance at
the screen and it struck me that instead of saying 0525 it said
1725...that was a real forehead slapper that one!...had to come off the
air and edit the times in the .ALL file, change the computer clock
(correctly this time) and reboot the log praying I didn't get some awful
error message...luckily it was all OK...phew!

I really like the interaction in CQWPX having to exchange serial
numbers...you get to chat and run! probably in retrospect too much in my
case.

Hi/Lo lights

Hi

I had a few of those spooky same serial number exhanges which can lead
to a re-enactment on the air of the Abbott and Costello 'Who's on First
Base' routine..."OK your 59 1739"...QSL, your 59 1739"..."OK you've got
my Serial Number but what's mine?"..."1739"..."No what's mine?"..."Its
1739 also"..."1739 also?, the same as mine"..."QSL, QSL, QSL"....etc...

It also cheered me up to hear GM7V laughing when I told him my brain had
dropped out and I had forgotten to record his SN even though I had done
the full exchange/QSL business and was on to the next QSO before I
realised I had in fact recorded nothing on the computer (a senior
moment)

Lo

In an effort to always get in at least one face reddening,
knuckle-bitingly, stupid mistake I managed to surpass myself on 40m on
the Sunday morning.

As I mentioned LF was very noisy and whilst listening on my own and up
for Stateside I managed at last to find a nice clear frequency for the
UP of 7.310...thats a blessing I thought not much noise on that
freq..and so I continued to run "This is G5W listening this frequency
and 310"...this went on for a few minutes working the odd EU stn but no
NA...strange I though I had been able to work them fairly easily earlier
in the night...a kind hearted US station then informed me on my lower
freq that I was listening outside of the band!!...in my enthusiasm for
finding a nice clear freqency I had forgotten the band plan...Oh dear
certainly one of my more Homeresque moments that one!

So all in all great fun...not sure where I will come in the standing,
but enjoyed having a crack none the less.

73 tu

Paul
G0WAT (G5W in CQ WPX SSB 2002)
-- 
Paul Brice-Stevens