[UK-CONTEST] CQWW 160 CW-M2D

[Vic Lindgren]

Had my best ever score this year thanks to guesting at John G3LZQ,s qth. As M2D I managed to top 1 million points. A real milestone for me. I have been entering the CW event for nearly 25 years and over that time have gradualy increased my score to the present level. (My own score being the yardstick as so many variables make it difficult to compare with others.)
First night was a real good steady stream of multipliers backed up with the seemingly endless supply of EU stations. Phew it was like being in a pressure cooker all trapped below 1840 with our power limit. Never the less I managed to keep several run frequencies over the night period.
Band conditions to the USA were quite good with quite a few  8,s and 9,s worked.
Saturday night was much less productive due to rather flat band conditions to the States plus a glitch in the what  turned out to be a PC problem caused me to loose all comms to the radio and keying. I had to resort to hand keying the radio and eventualy retired to bed between 0130 and 0500. This turned out to be not too 
bad an event as I gather that the band was poor all of the night with not much dx being worked. Thus giving me a few extra hours on Sunday Pm and evening.
After a gee up from the station owner I got cracking again on Sun eve and had a real ball working dx and piling up the points with a real fine run to the USA in the last couple of hours .Finished with a mult of VP9I as last qso  just for good measure.
I wont comment on poor signals and behaviour as its all been said before and just work around it and have FUN. Its the one contest of the year which I realy look forward to most
and rarely does a year go by without some glitch or problem. Which all adds to the unique flavour of a super event. I will be back for more next time.
Thanks to all you guys for the points albeit quick blasts and then on my way:-))
John and Trixie were great in keeping me fed and watered as usual. Am sure some of you have tasted their hospitality at The Oaks (SJJ,s breakfasts???).

1,042,368 score from 1347 qso,s from 48 states/prov and 78 countries.

Used an Orion radio into an Alpha 87a amplifier and an 85 ft vertical with many radials/ground system. 
A K9AY rx antenna.
plus a very useful outboard audio filter suprisingly.
Software was N1MMloogger.

Vic G4BYG