[WWYC] WPX CW OO5ZO(ON5ZO) SO(A)AB LP

[Franki ON5ZO]

>   CQWW WPX Contest, CW
>
> Call: OO5ZO
> Operator(s): ON5ZO
> Station: ON5ZO
>
> Class: SO(A)AB LP
> Operating Time (hrs): 36
> Radios: SO2R
>
> Summary:
> Band  QSOs
> ------------
>  160:    2
>   80:  168
>   40:  442
>   20:  564
>   15:  352
>   10:  185
> ------------
> Total: 1713  Prefixes = 624

>Total Score = 2,307,552

After some sleep, maybe some comments? This is from 3830:

> Quite a contest! Good fun as always, although 80m was rendered useless due to
> thunder storms and static crashes - I had hoped to have some good EU runs on 80m
> but it turned out otherwise.
>
> Good thing: 10m livened up, or at least didn't stay completely dead... No USA
> heard here though, but Caribean and PY/LU were VERY loud even late on Sunday
> evening.
>
> Bad thing: the rope suspending my 160m wire antenna snapped at the start of the
> contest; luckily it's WPX and not WW.

There is lots to be said by me about this contest. Mostly good stuff. I am quite 
happy with the score, but it could have been better. My strategy (if any) was based 
on points-per-qso. I would try (yes: try) to run a band that would probably bring me 
more points per QSO, even at a lower rate. The low rate was then compensated by 
looking for other stations and mults on the second radio. I wrote it in my 3830 
comments last year; SO2R can boost your score. Because I don't have separate antennas 
on the higer bands, I couldn't do SO2R there, and when the rate is low, you get 
bored. So once 40m opened up I CQ'd there and swept through 10/15/20 for mults and 3 
pointers from NA/SA and Caribean. Chris KL9A wrote on 3830 that it keeps you busy and 
that is true: you are busy anyhow even if the running rate collapses.
Unfortunately, I use both rigs for running and S&P so I can't really tell from 
N1MMLogger what the result of SO2R'ing is. But believe: it helps!  So I might just 
look for a cheap multiband vertical or so to have more antennas for SO2R when using 
the triband beam. BTW: what's with the bands staying open so late with these 
conDX-numbers (SFI, A, K) and current point in the cycle? Nice surprise!!!

One thing that bothers me: stations popping up on your QRG or a few Hz away and 
starting CQ out of the blue. 9A1V and SI9AM, to name two of the bunch - these were 
very nasty to convince to QSY. I *always* ask 'QRL?' 3 (three!) times before 
launching a CQ, so if a QRG is clear I take it. Either these guys don't or spent too 
much time chasing a mult on another band or so? I lost my running frequency quite a 
few times because of chasing a station on anothe rband with the second radio, but be 
a sport and move on if you quit your spot for a longer period.

Onwards to the next one: IARU (M/S 'à la wrtc' from here) and WAE CW.

73 / CU
Franki ON5ZO
OO5ZO in CW for 2005
http://www.on5zo.be