CQ WW RTTY Contest
Call used: W2UP
Location: PA
Entry Class: Single Op, Single Band
Band QSOs Pts QTH DX Zones
80 0 0 0 0 0
40 536 1035 52 76 26
20 0 0 0 0 0
15 0 0 0 0 0
10 0 0 0 0 0
--------------------------------------
Total 536 1035 52 76 26
--------------------------------------
Claimed Score: 159390
Software: RTTY by WF1B, Version 3.2A (It's really 3.1C, so relax
Tyler) :.)
Power Output: 1000
Club Participation: FRC
Rig: FT-1000D/Alpha 77Dx/HAL P38 to 40-2CD at 85 ft
The story:
About a month before the contest I had good intentions of putting a
competitive effort in, then XYL tells me "Guess what? My parents are
coming to visit. And we're going to take them out for their
anniversary Saturday night." Oh well, another contest weekend shot
to hell... In disgust, I wasn't planning on operating at all, but
changed my mind at the last minute and thought I'd make a few Qs.
Thought I'd do a single band, and maximize the time I had available.
80 was too noisy, 20 was open too long, 15 and 10 not long enough,
so wound up on my usual hangout - 40 meters. A few Qs turned into
500+ Contesting is like eating Lays potato chips - you can't have
just one!
I started at 0000Z with good condx. QSO #9 was VE2GSO in zone 2, so
we were off to a good start. The DX was rolling in with Romeo, UN5PR
at 0029 for my only zone 17, and OY3JE at 0033 for a nice catch. An
hour later OD5NJ answered my CQ. For the next few hours signals
EU weakened, and I was jumping back and forth between 7040 and 7080
(+/-) Speaking of 7040, there were surprisingly few CW hecklers
throughout the weekend. More annoying were the Pactor stations
(automated mailboxes? I didn't take the time to decode them) in
the upper segment. As the evening progressed, other mults of note
include ZB2, TA, ZS, ZA, 5B4, 3DA0 and W6/G0AZT (Eddie with a big
signal compared with his usual...) About 0500Z, the Europeans
starting picking up again, and I could sense the sun rising over
Russia as their signals started really building. I quit for the night
at 0530.
As usual, the peri-sunrise time was disappointing and I only operated
for about an hour. Mostly stateside 1 pointers, with NH6XM and HP1KZ
breaking up the monotomy. Speaking of monotony, I sporadically
checked the band during the day and found both W5WMU and W3LPL CQing
away. Boy, what a bore that must have been...
I came back on about 2000Z (4 PM local) which is usually a very
frustrating time. It's about 2.5-3 hours before sunset, and I can
hear Europeans working each other. But it is a one way skip and they
can't hear me. Even though I spent the better part of the hour
calling Europeans, I only worked SM5FUG and IV3KSJ. Then, out of
nowhere comes VK2KM blasting through with a great S-9 signal LP. I
also spent about an hour, on and off, calling JY9QJ, unable to break
through the European wall. I was pleasantly surprised at 2129Z to
have him answer my CQ! Two minutes later I'm called by VK6GOM. I
don't think a contest has gone by in the last 5 years where I haven't
worked both GOM and KM 40m long path at least an hour before sunset
here. Now, I am able to get a good run going to Europe. Time for the
big anniversary dinner...
It was only a four hour break, so figured I'd get back on the
air and do so at 0115Z. The DX is not very loud, and many more
stateside Qs at this time. Maybe effects of the solar flare? At 0244
I caught FR5DX for a double mult, and at 0307 I call it quits for the
nightas the yawns become more frequent. Looking back at last years
log, I quit about the same time on Saturday night - the activity just
isn't there like Friday night...
The Sunday morning peri-sunrise time is equally disappointing as
Satruday's. The only DX worked was ZL2JON. No RK9CWA, JAs, VR6, BV,
etc. I quit at 1208 and start again at about 2000Z. I am able to work
Europe at this time, which was a pleasant surprise. I also check out
my stateside mult sheet and see I'm missing all of W1, except RI.
Unless they show up soon, the band will be too long to catch them.
Where Dick, N1RCT? I work several MA and CT stations, and every MA
station I asked "Where are your neighbors to the north?" As W1RY
put it, "Beats me." I'm also missing MT and WY. The DX rate is
going well. I catch SV1LK which surprised me to take until Sunday to
find. The regulars, SV2BFN and SV1CER are not heard. Speaking of
regluars, on Friday night, I work GM0ILB for the rare Shetlands mult,
but never work Scotland - go figure... A few minutes later I work
9X0A for a double mult. As I tune the band the last half hour,
there's Dick, N1RCT working OT7T, and he has a good signal - the
short skip is still in. I call Dick after his QSO with OT7T (sri
John) but no repsonse. I then CQ up about 1 KHz from OT7T, hoping
Dick finds me, and sure enough, N1RCT prints on my screen. I work
Dick for a new mult and tell him I've been looking all day for him.
He said he was in NY, and I reply "you didn't have to bother, I
already worked NY." :.)
So, for a contest I wasn't going to operate, I made 15 more QSOs, 10
more countries, 2 more W/VEs, and the same number of zones as last
year.
73 Barry
--
Barry Kutner, W2UP Internet: w2up@itw.com
Newtown, PA FRC alternate: barry@w2up.wells.com
--
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