Hello Topband Contesters,
The WW2Y multiop team results:
1363QSO, 73CTY, 57STATE/PROV. 807k
We might lose a mult from OX1OM, who we had removed from the log but put back in
after the contest. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if it was real and we had taken
it out? We'll let Dave Thompson sort that one out. We thought it was bogus,
but more people than not reported that he was at least coming from the right
direction.
This year's crew consisted of WW2Y(Director, Engineering Department), K1ZM(who
was that masked man?), N2NU, N2NC("This is the best test ever invented"),
N2NT(Mr. Multiplier), W2REH, and K2WI("switch them Beverages, boys")
N2NC led off as usual, ripping out 118 QSOs the first hour(all NA), with a
little help from the second station. First DX was G0IVZ, followed closely by
EA3KU.
The best hour the first night was the 0300 hour, with 43 EU and 35 others, K1ZM
at the key. N2NU followed Jeff, keeping the EU rate up. Some of the good stuff
we worked was VQ9, A7, EK, C3.
The QRN was fierce! It took us until 0707 to work Texas! Maybe those guys
turned off their rigs because of the QRN. Or, maybe we were just weak that
direction. AA5B(NM) reported tuning from his sunset to midnight both nights and
NEVER hearing us.
At 1130z the rate was poor enough we were wondering if we really on 10GHz in a
UHF contest. We had a good JA opening, working 3 in 3 minutes. There were 2
more we heard who did not hear us, but a lot of the regulars were not to be
found.
At the end of the first night we were pretty happy to have gotten well over 200
EU in the log, and JA but were really nervous about missing 7 NA mults, LA, MT,
BC, SD, ND, ID, AB. We are usually only missing one or two of those after the
first night. Coupled with the fact that we did not work TX until 0707, that made
us worry that the W2GD effect(be loud everywhere, instead of really loud in one
direction, coined by N2NT) was going to get us.
Slugged through the daytime. When is CQ(and ARRL, for that matter) going to
incorporate an off period in this contest?
First EU the second night was LA9GX at 2223. K1ZM and N2NT were awesome at the
second station, digging stuff out through the QRM. K1ZM managed to find a 4L
and a 9K, despite the fact he was nodding off(sorry, Jeff). Now I know why he
does so well at single op, he has learned to operate in his sleep! Then, in
the course of just over 20 minutes, N2NT knocks off LA, MT, BC, SD. Now we are
feeling better about our NA multiplier count!
Other good stuff the second night was 7X, ZS.
I don't know what went wrong in the 0300 and 0400 hours but we only worked 3 EU
total. We tried moving around a lot, to find a better frequency, but just
couldn't get anything going. The band was really up and down. The tuning
around gave us the opportunity to find a lot of mults, so in the end we did well
then.
The band finally came back in the 0500 hour and W2REH and I managed to snag
another 60 EU between us. Chased GJ3YHU all over the band as we heard him
calling other guys. Kept the array pointed at EU longer than we normally would,
hoping he would call us, but never made it. JY9QJ also slipped through our
fingers, disappearing just as his signal was peaking and we thought we might get
through his local noise and EU pileup.
At sunrise, the JAs were way down from the previous morning, so we didn't really
try. Heard VK3AJJ calling N0NI, and VK3IO calling CQ JA. CQed frantically to
the west, hoping to get the VK mult. Finally found one and snagged it, so we
turned our attention to a last ditch effort to catch KL7. No luck. I found
ZL4WA and we called and called. VK6VZ snuck in and got us as we were calling
the ZL, but the best we got out of ZL4WA was W2YY? Another one slips by.
Finished up with the morning daylight session and the crawl to the finish.
Continental Stats: 401 EU, 9 Asia, 5 Africa, 5 Oceana, and 3 South America.
The lack of South America had us a little worried. No YV, HK, PY, CE. Maybe
they gave up on us because of the QRN.
Thank you to Peter for sharing his station with us, to K1ZM for travelling to
join our circus, and to the rest of the crew for working so hard. To W2GD and
crew, nice going. We are still looking for more scores, but for the third year
in a row (or is it 5?, I can't remember about 93 and 94), it looks like 2nd
place in New Jersey might be 2nd place in USA. We are going to petition Christy
Whitman(our Governor) to change it from "The Garden State" to "The Topband
State".
Thanks also to Bob N2LO and Dave W2KV for help with technical problem-solving.
73, Rob K2WI and Peter WW2Y
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