CQWW WPX Contest, SSB - 2019
Call: NR6O
Operator(s): N6RO K3EST N6WM NA6O K6DAJ N6GD AI6JZ
Station: N6RO
Class: M/M HP
QTH: Oalkley, CA
Operating Time (hrs): 48
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 170
80: 563
40: 1411
20: 1603
15: 142
10: 42
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Total: 3931 Prefixes = 938 Total Score = 8,403,542
Club: Northern California Contest Club
Comments:
Getting the gang together and collectively trying to do our best, while
introducing new operators to M/M contesting is what is the most enjoyable for us
at Radio Oakley and Ken N6RO's great contribution to radiosport. This wpx run
was no exception, but Wow... Rough conditions for WPX SSB 2019.
We welcome to the team Greg N6GD as a first timer at Radio Oakley, and welcome
back AI6JZ as a very new contester learning the ins and outs of multi op
radiosport.
It all started quite normally on Friday, as we kicked off the contest and got
our requisite Friday evening upper band QSO's out here on the West coast, prior
to moving over to the night crew for the low bands...but then the crowded bands
and the reality of the Solar Minimum.. combined with just some bad condition
luck set in as the reality of a long grind set in.
10/15M-- N6WM primary with brief relief by N6RO and AI6JZ. The 15m position that
normally is at least marginally productive was the biggest wake up call. The
band was barely open all weekend, and from here the scant spotlights of open
propagation emerged in the southern hemisphere making South America the primary
volume(if you want to call it that) giving the band a 10m feel. Runs were
generally unproductive, I was surprised that we did not yield any domestic qso
volume.. bottom line, this was a slog. 10M Saturday was a no show.. Having the
SO2R position with a nice Pan adapter revealed a brief opening to SA on Sunday
(I started spotting everything I worked or could hear).. welcoming a few WPX
mults we had not seen and after I had about 30 in the log, moved the 40 day op
AI6JZ) over to a dedicated station to drain what was left of the opening. EU
nil, JA nil.. just a couple VK/ZL on 15 ugh.
20M-- K3EST Primary, N6WM relief op. Bob assumed his role as 20m point
generator producing his usual "Iron Man" QSO count, N6WM served as an
occasional relief operator. Maintaining a Run frequency is paramount in this
contest, and with 15 near dead, and despite the crowded band conditions we were
able to do that most of the time... But signals were generally weak (but
workable) throughout the contest. operating in these conditions is quite
mentally exhausting even for a senior and experienced operator.
40 Friday night into Sat AM-K6DAJ, Sat Day-N6GD -Sat night into Sunday-NA6O
Sunday Day--AI6JZ
For WPX we wanted to keep 40m staffed throughout the contest. A couple of new RO
team members made this mostly possible. The 40m primary team struggled a bit on
40, again crowded band conditions and operators learning the nuances of WPX SSB
were helming the stack during the peaks, producing needed training in trial
under fire conditions. They did their best to hammer through the crowed band
and did their best to get all the prefixes and volume they could while learning
the ins and outs of WPX SSB. Good Asia Pac, and a path to EU was there. working
toward the east was a bit of a struggle for the gang.
80M-- NA6O Friday-Sat K6DAJ Sat night with team coverage for the rest. Gary's
notes from his shift stated no workable EU, but did copy a spanish station. run
run run for the prefixes. Gary has done some fantastic work with this system,
and it is now a very very nice 80m system.
160-- N6RO said 160 was not on fire with limited propagation, but did manage to
get 170 stations in the logs.
How to help all of this go down a bit easier? Kens Contest Chili, and an extra
large batch of it at that. Although the spice mix was not such that it could
open propagation on the upper bands, it certainly provided some comfort for the
tough conditions.
So.. there you go. we ALL look forward to the CW WPX,with hopes for better
conditions, and armed with some new team members,and a bit more experience for
the developing portion of the team.
Station
10- 5 X 5 X 5
15- 5 X 5 X 5 10/15 Both operated with a Single Flex 6600M and Power Genius XL
SO2R with 1 transceiver and 1 amp!
20- 5 X 5 X 5 K3 and alpha
40- 4 X 4 K3 and Alpha
80- 4sq/2L quad - Flex 6600M and Power Genius XL
160- 4sq/SAL K3 and alpha
On behalf of the entire team at Radio Oakley, and the NR6O WPX team, We
congratulate everyone for powering though this and thank you all for the QSO's!
73 and of course.. Seeya next time
For team NR6O@N6RO
Chris
N6WM
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