[UK-CONTEST] WAE SSB ZC4DW (G0DEZ) SOAB LP

[Dez in Cyprus]

WAE DX Contest, SSB

Call: ZC4DW
Operator(s): G0DEZ
Station: ZC4DW

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: KM65
Operating Time (hrs): 36

Summary:
Band  QSOs  QTCs  Mults
-------------------------
   80:   29     0    60
   40:  111    37    96
   20:  300   241    82
   15:  377   422    90
   10:  601   617    84
-------------------------
Total: 1418  1317   412  Total Score = 1,126,820

Club: Chiltern DX Club

Comments:

Worked All Europe DX Contest is probably one of my favourite contests
on the calendar - WAEDC is a challenge from both DX side, and EU side.

It has prety much everything:  when do you take those breaks?, what is the
optimum 36 hours?, weighted multipliers, and QTC exchanging is a blast!

And this year WAEDC just got even better - since DARC introduced
a low power category and non-packet assistantce if you so choose.

Not really being much of a phone operator, I never enter many SSB
contests. But as WAEDC is so much fun on CW and RTTY, I thought
it was time to find the mic and jump in.

Well I didn't exactly have the best pre-contest preparation... I was
working a night shift Friday night, and finished work at 6am local time
Saturday morning.

The contest was already 3 hours old as I got into the shack weary
eyed. I knew from the start this would only be a semi-serious
entry at best, because of the need for sleep right from the beginning.

But I plugged away, taking cat naps when needed, and helped with some
great propagation, (especially on 10m), I put in 18 hours on the first
day, littered with cat naps, (pun intended).

I felt fairly alert after day 1, and would have carried on longer,
but 20m propagation changed to long-haul earlier than I expected,
and I knew that EU would be beaming Stateside at this time.

The second day I wanted to watch the GP from Monza, so that was a great
time to take a break. No reflection of the racing, but once I sat in
the comfy seat in front of the television, I could not keep my eyes open.
I woke up and Rubens had just reached the chequered flag and it was back
to the radio for the final session.

10m was in great shape both days - much to my surprise. When I began
to hear US stations on 10m I knew it was wide open, and it was a shame
I couldn't work them. And I can't remember the last time I worked three
Paraguay stations in one afternoon. But alas, zero points in this contest.

80m seemed much better the second night, but it's always a struggle
with 100w and a wire antenna. Thanks to those who pulled my
signal out on the low bands, and also to those who kindly QSY'd.

Also thanks to those who spotted me on the cluster. I tried to reciprocate
the gesture, and I think this is one of the few contests where packet
cluster assistance can be fun.

YAESU FT-1000MP
INVERTED-L
100W