[UK-CONTEST] GM5X CQWW CW long story (!)

[Kerr, Prof. K.M.]

After a good time in the SSB leg, was it a bit too much to hope for a smooth passage through the CW event too?

You all have experience of the poor weather of the last few days, which started with us last Wednesday. Consequently, when I went out in the blizzard when I got home from work on Friday night, having averaged 5 hours per day travelling to and from work in the snow and traffic jams, I discovered that my 160m dipole was snapped (again!) and not repairable, and I had to dig the 20m reflector of the C3E out of about 15ins flat fall of snow in order to raise that antenna on its pole. All seemed ready at 9pm, snow static was horrendous but I went to bed to sleep. For whatever reason, I just could not get any sleep at all, so started the contest not exactly in the best frame of mind.

First 10 hours
It seemed to me that the low bands were in OK shape. 160m was OK but not terrific, 80m was actually pretty good I thought but 40m was not as good as in October and I think my MUF dropped below some important level. NA was very steady on 80m all night, in and out on 160 but patchy on 40m. Zone 3 was romping in on 80m after 0700 and I manage a single Zn3 on 160. Stayed on 80m until after 0900 (maybe a mistake), pleased to break the NA pile up on KH6 but spent too long calling and failing to work FO8RZ, all after my sunrise. Still, those first few hours went relatively well. 40m was not much use 0930-1000 so which high band to go to? Wind so strong I cannot get 20m yagi any further east than about 10 degrees East of North. Decide on 15m at 1000 but after 5 QSOs and a very loud VK2 the SWR on the C3E being used as second direction antenna goes way high SWR – decision time. Reconfigure station without second antenna for 20/15/10 (already lost 160m dipole) or go out and try to see what the problem was?

Not an easy decision, but these choices never are when you are in a sleep deprived state, a permanent feature of SOAB contesting!

The weather was also a factor. The snow had been pounding down in big showers all night accompanied by thunder (allegedly) and lightening (I saw that!). Many have commented on the snow static. It peaked at 60 over on all low band antennas except the 40m sloping-45deg delta loop. Clive commented on the beverages being quiet. Here they were quieter, but not unaffected. I noticed an odd thing though; some bevs in different directions had little or no static at different times so I was constantly switching between 5 to find the quietest one with stations I could hear. I do not understand why there was this difference. Back to the C3 problem – I decided moral was low, and would be lower if I did not have this antenna too. In retrospect I probably lost more QSOs over the piece by basically losing the high bands operation on Saturday morning.

I waded (really) out to the antenna. Gave it a whack and a load of snow and ice fell off. Maybe that was messing up the driven cell. Back to shack – no! Back out – try again – no! Finally resolved to lower the thing and see. Had to pour warm water on the gin-pole pulleys and ropes to get it going. Gloves sticking very fast to scaffold pole mast in cold. Climb the step ladder and………..one of the wires on the F12 balun to the feed point completely snapped; nasty burns from those 5 QSOs. I think flexing in the wind and the severe cold was the cause. Disconnect, remove balun, solder on new wire, reinstall, works perfectly………almost 1200z and very tired.

The Saturday afternoon
Bad mood. Quick check – 8 QSOs possible for valuable mults on 10m, maybe that is all I will get. Tried to work hard on 20 and 15m with OK conditions to NA but zn3 on 15m a rarity. Loss of morning QSOs and really precious mults is bugging me. Mid afternoon I fall asleep at the key(board) – lose another 45 mins, snow static annoying too.  15m closed real fast at 1600ish, semi productive 45mins on 40m then back to 20m at 1700 – maybe too late but it is good for a couple of hours to NA.

Rest of Saturday
Kept going but efficiency low. Arrival on 40 followed I think by being spotted because the pile up was beyond me and so out of control (partly my fault for sure) I wondered if they were actually calling me! Rate suffered badly. 80 and 160 better. Collapsed in vegetative state about 0030. Cannot read CW, staring into space, what is this guy doing in my shack etc! Snow static unbearable – better stop for my 1.5 hr break now………

Sunday morning
Back at 0400 – later than planned! Wind has dropped a bit, no static. 160 slow but not bad, 80 OK but nothing like as good as Sat am. 40 still not happening. 0700 – hardly any QSOs on 20m, band open but not enough to run. Post-sunrise 80m productive for a while, 40m better and good runs to NA but 20m is bound to be opening and I am beginning to panic. 0930 – 20m – open, runs of EU and near Asia but JA few, odd VK, KH2 but little else exciting. 15m same with none of the long haul except VR2, one VK but no JA. 1115 – signals on 10m. About 60 Qs in 45 mins here (expensive for rate but some useful mults)

Sunday PM
15-20-15-20 running NA – or trying to! Check 10 at 1500 – signals! Work 5 stations for 3 double mults including V31. 15-20-15 etc 1600, 10m a bit better – several more mults including a VO1 (first VE or W QSO on 10m from this station in many years!) 15-20-15-20

Sunday evening
By this stage any psychometric testing would probably have me certified and put in a hospital bed. My ability to read CW now even worse than usual, virtually never get a full call, if more than 2 call, I get nothing. Worked hard at 40m but was not doing too well. 80m was better, some good mults and my brain seemed a little better. 2200 - I am on 160. I am called at the same time by 9K2YM and SU9HP – highlight of the contest! That cheered me up but after completing with SU9, half of EU starts calling him on what I regarded as my run frequency (well, it was!!) – I saw off the mess by sheer persistence, was then called by 9L5VT and then found and worked C5A who was CQing on the same frequency as 9L5VT – a mess. 80 - 40 –the end.

Comments
Physically the CW event is easier than SSB, but mentally harder for me; I have to really concentrate to read CW. For whatever reason I just did not survive the weekend very well. I think much of it is actually psychological: losing the 160m antenna, the static snow always taking the edge, no sleep before, losing Sat am, frustration at poor copying skill.
I had the same issues with the non-ID by many stations. I did this myself on occasion to try to improve my rate when several were calling but always signed after 3-4 QSOs. I am sure this is driven by the assumption that many callers get the call from a spotting system so ‘why bother’. ………. Not everyone used the cluster etc!
I enjoyed it all, of course, really I did!!,  and I am looking forward to next year already, and determined to do better, ………………but it was truly painful at times!
Disappointed in the score; should have made more QSOs. 20m especially bad. CW mults are always relatively poor for me.
Thank to all who called and apologies for the crappy copying. Need to get into CW training.

Keith GM4YXI – GM5X


Contest         : CQ World Wide DX Contest

Callsign        : GM5X

Mode            : CW

Category        : Single OP Unassisted

Band(s)         : All bands (AB)

Class           : High Power (HP)

Zone/State/...  : 14

Operating time  : 40h



 BAND   QSO  CQ DXC DUP  POINTS   AVG

--------------------------------------

  160   605  17  61   9     924  1.53

   80   945  23  78   6    1689  1.79

   40   705  25  80   6    1149  1.63

   20   763  20  61   4    1746  2.29

   15   570  22  72   3    1233  2.16

   10    87  15  44   0     151  1.74

--------------------------------------

TOTAL  3675 122 396  28    6892  1.88

======================================

       TOTAL SCORE : 3 570 056


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