CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB
Call: N4TZ/9
Operator(s): N4TZ/9
Station: N4TZ/9
Class: SOAB LP
QTH: INDIANA
Operating Time (hrs): 38
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 21 7 12
80: 53 13 28
40: 64 15 36
20: 229 22 84
15: 351 28 99
10: 566 25 94
------------------------------
Total: 1284 110 353 Total Score = 1,631,149
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
"You can't go back again"
Last year I came unexpectedly close to winning (45 more QSOs
would have made my score #1 USA SOAB LP). So, this year I
started by keeping last year's rate sheet in front of me. The
idea was that if I made 1 more Q each hour, I would have a
shot at winning.
For the first six hours things were going according to plan.
But, the low band conditions to Europe were pretty bad for
a midwest low power op. I only hear a couple of Italians
on 80 meters, and they didn't hear me. Things weren't much
better on 40; relatively few Europeans heard and many of those
didn't seem to be listening up for USA.
Still, I kept plugging away and after twenty four hours had
150 more QSOs than last year, but 54 mults down, so about
even point wise. Then 15 finally opened to JA, but the
strongest signals during the opening were only about S5;
I was unable to get any answers to my CQs.
Then I made my big mistake. I hadn't been able to stockpile
sleep before the contest because of construction
activity on the house. Friday afternoon the neighbor's chain
saw kept me from getting a nap. I have observed that the second
night's activity on the lower bands is typically less than
the first night's. Precipitation static made listening tough.
Given the extremely poor conditions the first night I decided
to grab some sleep. N9RV tells me that's when 40 and 75 came alive.
I awakened at 1000z and had a quick bowl of cereal. Conditions
still seemed bad. I heard only one JA on 40 and he wasn't
listening up. The only bright spot on the low bands was working
JF1IST on 75 on one call. He was pounding in much louder than
KH7X.
In spite of my time management goof, I was still even with last
year's score until around 1600z. The lack of multipliers was
killing me - I was now down 75 mults from last year's pace. The
solar conditions finished me off. I only made 85 QSOs in the last
six hours of the contest. The last half hour was spent picking up
a few of the Europeans I missed the first two nights on 40.
I notice that most, but not all, single ops had substantially fewer
multipliers this year. I had fewer mults on every band but 160m.
My total score was almost identical to that in 2001, which is down
10% from last year's high water mark. I worked no Europeans on 75m,
and no JAs on 40, 20 or 10.
I'm glad that N8II has managed to put a little distance between
himself and the rest of the closely-bunched LP pack. I'd really
be kicking myself if I thought that a couple less hours sleep
would have done the trick.
Thank goodness, the CW weekend reverts to the post-Thanksgiving
weekend so I can rest up a day or two before the contest.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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