[UK-CONTEST] CQWW CW - G3LET (SB 160)

[Peter Hobbs]

This really happened by accident.  I hadn't "done" CQWW since 1963 but time was available for once and I felt like spending a while checking out my sloping wire on 160 in something other than a domestic contest environment.  Also, it might well be the last decent 160m year for a while.  Found 3X5A at 2359 before he was spotted, so that seemed like a good omen.  A couple of hours in and I was hooked, so back to the house to print out a few more log sheets.  All went reasonably well for the first session, which was mainly out to the N and W.

Session 2 soon revealed that the antenna has major problems with anything low angle out to the SE - the other Gs were calling stuff that was just inaudible here.   JA was fine, with a nice little run, but mults were badly lacking.  Those like A45XR, who I could hear, never responded.  The evening wasn't helped by a jammer who persisted for a couple of hours and ended up pirating my call up and down the band when he found that his efforts were largely in vain (thanks K3!).  My thanks also to several guys who came on frequency in support.  Pragmatism would suggest leaving the channel, but it had become a battle of wills!

Propagation extended to the W until shortly before 0900 when I called it a day, with a strong HC8N almost the only signal on the band.

The last session was uninterrupted, but finding new stations to work was a real problem.  Not having prepared a dupe sheet, S&P is really limited to mults, which I was keeping a running total of.  One surprise was a call from VE1OP at 1930, but this promise was never fulfilled - signal levels were well down on the first night.  The last hour picked up, with the big stations sweeping up the crumbs.

All in all, the band felt much like 40m at mid-cycle - one difference being that you don't have to wait around long for Zone 3 - they''ve appeared already by 0100.  Really must think about a second antenna that's not so badly screened to the E though.

Totals:

QSOs: 1214  (DX 201)
Zones:  19
Countries:  74

Total: 150,288

Many thanks for all the QSOs!

73, Peter G3LET