CQWW WPX Contest, CW
Call: PJ2W
Operator(s): WI9WI
Station: PJ2T
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: PJ2
Operating Time (hrs): 36
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 0
40: 613
20: 880
15: 1149
10: 201
------------
Total: 2890 Prefixes = 816 Total Score = 8,341,152
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
This was the third year in a row I have been fortunate enough to be able to
operate the WPX CW contest from the fine station of the Caribbean Contesting
Consortium, PJ2T, on Curacao. My wife, elder daughter, and I arrived late Monday
night before the test, and in about 10 or 12 hours of casual operation before
Friday night the bands seemed to be in pretty good condition, particurlarly 20
and 40 meters. I even spent about 2 hours on Thursday nite operating QRP with 5
watts on 20 and 40, with little noticible decrease in performance. I spent a
bit of time on 80, and found very high noise levels as expected, and made a
grand total of 1 QSO with W4SAA. I was not expecting to spend any time on 80
during the test, rates are too low, and anything you find there you can also
find on 40. We spent the rest of the time relaxing, swimming, diving and eating
out.
A look at propagation the day before the test predicted good conditions with
deterioration Sunday morning. This was pretty much how things panned out,
although I didn't anticipate how bad things would become late Sunday AM. A
review of the past two year's logs and some thinking led me to try to do several
things to improve my performance. The main two things were to be to spend more
time on 40 meters to get more 6 point QSOs, and keep my butt in the chair. The
past 2 years I didn't maximize my operating time, and I have a habit of taking
too many little 5 to 15 minute breaks to stretch, get something to drink, walk
around a few minutes, etc. As they say, you can't make contacts if you're not in
the chair. I started on 15 which played well to the US and Asia for 150 QSOs in
a bit over an hour. Then to 20 which was open everywhere. I consciously went to
40 earlier this year. This was a good decision, signals were loud and noise
levels were minimal for the Caribbean at this time of year. I stayed there until
about 0800Z (0040L) when I decided to sleep for 3 hours. This was my first
mistake, I should have stayed in the chair until sunrise and then slept a bit. I
was up on time, and hit 40, 20 then 15. Fifteen opened a couple of hours later
than last year. Ten opened to the US in the late PM and was good for a nice
run. Then in the late PM back down the band ladder to 40. I planned to quit at
0600Z and sleep 6 hours, and I did in spite of good rates. I have to do this,
I'm not the sort who can stay in the chair for 40 or 48 consecutive hours, or
even 36 hours. That was my third mistake, I should have stayed up at least a few
more hours. The second mistake was taking about a 40 minute break on Saturday
afternoon. More on that later.
I got up and was back on the air about 1245Z. Twenty played well for about an
hour, and then everything fizzled. Rates dropped to about 25 to 50 an hour. I
bounced back and forth from 20 and 15 for several hours working what I could,
even doing some S&P. Things were bad for about 6 hours and then about 2000Z
things started getting better, with decent second day rates on 15 and 20, and 10
even opened to the US and Europe with strong signals, but there didn't seem to
be many stations on 10 at all. I finished with a good hour on 20 with a number
of new mults.
The biggest mistake I probably made all weekend was not knowing the rules as
well as I should. I was using Writelog and was checking my off times. When I
got up Sunday morning it said I needed about 40 more minutes or so of off time.
I planned to take this in the early PM and go for a swim. Big problem. During
the doldrums late Sunday morning I suddenly had the horrible thought that
minimum off times in this contest are 1 hour. Quickly, or as quickly as you can
with a slow dial up connection, checking the rules on the web confirmed this.
Checking the off time clock in Writelog showed it set for 30 minutes, and my
almost 40 minute break Saturday PM wouldn't count as off time, and I needed to
take a much longer break than anticipated. So I did this, but should have done
it earlier when the bands were so bad.
All told I did better than last year in QSOs, mults, and total score. I
acchieved my objectives of more 40 meter time, more time in the chair, and
better concentration with few short breaks. There's lots of room for improvement
though. My hand sent code totally deteriorated Sunday due to fatigue, lack of
concentration and too much sweat/bug spray on the paddles. ;>). Temps in the
shack ranged from 88 to 92 throughout the test. My apologies. All equipment
worked well with the exception of one small amplifier glitch which was easily
solved.
My thanks to the members of the CCC for the use of the station, Geoff, W0CG and
his wife Cindy for the use of their wonderful house, and to everyone who gave me
a QSO.
See you on the bands.
73
Jim
WI9WI, PJ2W, PJ2/WI9WI
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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