[UK-CONTEST] 9M2RPN CQ WPX SSB 2004

[Dr K Kerr]

Firstly my thanks to Sangat, 9M2SS  and Richard, 9M2/G4ZFE for the 
opportunity to return to the station at the National Planetarium and 
Microsatellite Lab in Kuala Lumpur, after a successful outing in the M2 
category in last year's contest. Richard and I had a little antenna work, 
station arranging and testing to do on Friday afternoon in preparation for 
another M2 effort and all seemed well. The C3S is a considerable 
improvement on the 'crocked' TH3 and the Inv-VEEs for 40m and 80m seemed to 
work well. Contest start is at 0800z local on Saturday morning, which is 
very civilised. Our plan was to run one station predominantly on 20m and 
the other on the other bands (no 160m antenna) and merge the logs at the 
end. There would be no dupe checking between stations since we were unable 
to network our laptops but we figured we would be running most of the time.

Started on 15m as the only band with any QSO potential and had a 170 hour 
which proved to be my best of the weekend, mostly to JA with some other 
Asia and a few left-coast NAs. And so it continued until 0430, with falling 
rates, the only notable event being a call from Doug, K1DG at 0410z to say 
I was loud on LP 15m. I had worked a couple of stations with '1' calls 
about 20 mins before but was beaming NE from 9M2 (short path to NA). Doug 
was much louder with the C3S beaming SW but only one more 'east coast' 
station appeared before I quit for 10m at 0430z. Pity......seems there was 
definite potential for some nice mults, which I never did work.

10m was barely open but there was better rate than the faltering supply on 
15m and JA and a few Eastern Eu were workable with vicious QSB. Spent 
0610-0745 on 15m again then 10m until the Europeans vanished about 1100z . 
Most of the 10m QSOs were ESP strength and the QSB added to the fun!

The next few hours are always a bit of a problem in 9M2 since there is no 
band well open. Rich was making little headway on 20m and having a variety 
of equipment problems. 1200z saw a visit to 40m but only a few JAs were 
workable together with VE7SV. Surprised W6ANR and W6UC by raising them on 
80m around 1230z.......they were loud on the inv VEE at 30ft! Flitted 
between 15m and 40m until 1445 when an EU run of sorts developed though 
signals were rarely loud and there was much QSB and QRN. By 1700z 15m had 
had it and Rich was unable to continue on the '20m' station.

A quick break to decide what to do. Rich suggested I continue to operate as 
SOAB until the end of the contest. We would approach K6AW after the event 
to see if the log would be acceptable as such.

So, still mulling over this change of plan and what it meant for the 
remainder of the weekend, I went to 20m but ran out of steam and QSOs at 
1830z. Still debating on what to do we both crashed-out. I woke a bit later 
than intended and was QRV again at 0200z for more or less a repeat of day 
one in terms of operating pattern. Occasional visits to 20m produced 
little. No 15m LP to east USA. I had to figure out how much time I had left 
to operate, given the 36hr restriction with a minimum break period of one 
hour. None of the few short breaks I had taken on day one would count. Part 
of this decision was made for me by two enforced breaks in the local 
afternoon due to T-storms and incredible static. 40m seemed better today 
and some W6 and 7 were worked split......I am sure others called but you 
have to be loud to be heard among the BC crud. 15m to EU was reasonable 
again though without any really strong signals. Rate began to fall and I 
was aware of the fact that I had essentially no QSOs on 20m. Went to 20m at 
1600z and immediately noticed the rate pick up and signals were at least 5 
S points greater than on 15m. Three consecutive 150+ hours certainly helped 
the score. It was also very noticeable how my rate fell as the pile-up 
grew. The density of the first layer was such that the wall of S9+ noise 
didn't give up a call easily. A different experience from home where higher 
rates are possible when an HF band is open to NA since the first layer is 
less heavily populated (but there are more layers of guys to work!). 
Finished 20m at 2000z after a few sweeps of the band to find some mults and 
booming signals from my 'antipodes', the southern Caribbean. To 
40m......hampered by serious deafness of EU stations! Worked everyone who 
could hear me by 2030z. Went to 80m......some great signals but few with 
ears. Congrats to Tine S50A, OH5B (eventually) and SO2R for copying. Back 
to 40m but same problem and running was impossible. I was also running out 
of time. My original plan was to stop and restart for the last hour or so 
of the contest but 20m was wide open and at 2100z I had 40 mins left to 
operate. I elected to quit the double points of 40m and S&P 20m for 
anything. Score-wise Im sure this was the best strategy since I worked a 
few east NA mults which otherwise I was unlikely to bag. After some huge 
signals from the Caribbean, I found W1US with a fluttery but good signal 
coming short path over the pole. Several others followed with the S-meter 
prize shared between KQ2M and WE3C. Last QSO had to be VE3EJ at 2141z&&.my 
36 hrs were up.

I quit immediately.....it would have been too painful to tune around and 
find DX I wasn't allowed to work! Fell asleep to the calls of the muezzin 
calling the faithful to prayer at the National mosque just down the hill 
from where we were.

It remains to be seen if this will be acceptable as a SO(TS)AB effort, with 
the 180 QSOs Richard made put through as a checklog. If not, the entry will 
be as M2.

Thanks to everyone for another great 'contest experience', again to 
Richard, and to Sangat, 9M2SS for his hospitality. QSL via 9M2RPN.

73 Keith GM4YXI/GM7V

Call:      9M2RPN
       Category:  Single Operator (TS)
       Power:     High Power
       Band:      All Band
       Mode:      SSB
       Country:   West Malaysia

       BAND     QSO   QSO PTS  PTS/Q PREFIXES


       160        0        0   0.0        0
        80        8       44   5.5        1
        40      258      739   2.9       25
        20      821     2347   2.9      144
        15     1653     3687   2.2      518
        10      638     1466   2.3      178
      --------------------------------------

      Totals   3378     8283   2.5      866  =   7,173,078