CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW
Call: P40W
Operator(s): W2GD
Station: P40W
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Aruba
Operating Time (hrs): 43
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 372 16 56
80: 677 23 78
40: 1091 28 89
20: 1262 34 96
15: 1425 33 96
10: 1747 31 107
------------------------------
Total: 6576 165 522 Total Score = 13,396,500
Club: Frankford Radio Club
Comments:
Stn: SO1R - IC765ProII, Acom 2000A, 1KW, Win-Test
Antennas: C31XR, A3, 40M rotatable dipole, 4el and 2 el 40M wire beams, 3el
80M wire beam, 160/80 inverted V, 160M vertical dipole, beverages NE, NW, E/W,
N/S
Some comments......
My first P40 operation was exactly 25 years ago, and since then I've had the
pleasure of operating as P40GD or P40W a total of twenty times during CQWW CW.
CQWW CW is the widely considered the world championship of contesting, and I
can't think of a better place to be than Aruba the last week of November.
I rank this one in my top five WW CW operations. Twenty years ago a 13.4 meg
would have fairly easily won the contest. Boy has technology and the
competition changed the playing field. Back in the day a tribander and shorty
fourty were all you needed to be competitive. Today it takes two radios, two
amplifiers, sets of monobanders, complicated switching systems, bandpass
filters, the list goes on and on. Suppose I'm a little behind the times now
with my single radio and amp, tribanders (downsided from monobanders two years
ago), wire arrays, and nearly 50 year old manual B&W switching matrix, but I
enjoy it just the same. All these years I've enjoy operating a station built
with my own two hands and plenty of sweat...and have experienced the joy of
success as each incremental improvement was tried along the way.
This being the 25th anniversary of my first P4 operation, I got to thinking
about all the operators I've met on Aruba as they passed through over the
years. You might know a few of these calls: N4PN, K4UEE, K2SS, OH2KI, WX4G,
K4PI, W3BTX, AI6V, K1TO, N6BT, N6TV, W0ZZ, CT1BOH, N5TJ, N6AA, I2UIY, W6OAT,
N7RT, K0DQ, N4OC, W5AJ, KU1CW, AE6Y, W6LD, R5GA and many more. And the locals:
P43GR, P43A, P43E, P43P, P43W, P43L, P43T, P43DJ, P43JB, P43WLP to cite just a
few. The social aspects of contesting from Aruba are just as important to me
as the events themselves. Getting together before and after contests enriches
the experience and sharing ideas certainly has contributed to many successes.
When I arrived on Aruba last Tuesday afternoon, most of the hard work was
behind me, having set up and operated CQWW PH three weeks before. Had three
changes I wanted to try this time. Add an Array Solutions Stackmatch to the
antenna switching matrix to allow power dividing and beaming in multiple
directions (the first automated switching system every used at P40W), install
another tribander as a backup antenna to the C31 (the C4 on tower two is no
longer functional and the tower is so badly rusted it isn't climbable), and
build a 20/15/10 doublet for additional backup and maybe quick switching to
alternative directions. I installed all three of these changes before the bell
on Friday evening. Found power dividing on 80 through 10M very helpful. The A3
installed at 35 feet is over 35 years old and despite the best efforts of the
ants and other critters in the traps (the antenna had been lying in the bushes
for at least a decade) it worked perfectly. I build the 20/15/10 doublet
(looks like an antenna from back in the 30s, classic cats whisker design), but
during the contest never used it....but had that 'just in case' backup ready to
go.
Enjoyed dinners with the P40L team before and after the contest. They were
going through the pain of M/S setup, trying to find the magic solution which
would eliminate interstation interference problems.
Met Valery, R5GA on Wednesday morning for the first time, and we had dinner
together that evening. I took him on a quick three tour of Aruba Thursday, and
then he helped me afterward with putting up the tribander. I enjoyed seeing
places on the island again that I hadn't visited for many years.
When the gun went off at 0000 UTC, 20M seemed to be the place to start. Not
many multipliers but signals from North America and JA region were loud and the
rate was good, had a 220 hour out of the gate. Then off to 40M for a reasonable
192 hour of mostly EU before sliding down to 160 and 80. Wanted to beat the
P40L and P40F guys there so I'd be the first P4 mult on these bands. The
strategy seemed to work, had rates in the 185 range. Conditions on 160 meters
were better than average, EU stations were loud and plentiful for a change (had
only heard 3 EU all WW PH weekend) and the QRN level was a moderate S-5 on the
beverages (it would increase the second night to S-8/9 with active T-Storm
activity in the YV mountains 100 miles to my south). Took a 45 minute nap
during the 09 hour to be fresh for the big pileups to come.
And the pileups were huge. At sunrise spent 30 minutes on 20M before going
directly to 10 meters. It was wide open to EU and parts of AS. Nice 203 hour.
Stayed with 10 for another hour before a 218 hour on 15M. Then back to 10M for
some 190 hours. Best rate of weekend would be the 1800 hour on 15M, mostly loud
USA stations, a 248 clock hour. This is what you live for in CQWW CW....BIG
RATE.
Things then slowed down some, but still in the 190 range on 20 meters. But I
started to take more time chasing multipliers the next few hours. The JAs
showed up right on queue at 2145 UTC on 10M, and then later a nice run of AS on
15M as well. Finished the first 24 hours with 4160 qsos, a 181/hour
average...my best first day in at least a decade. But I felt worn out from the
endless and often unrulely pileups, having only managed a 1.5 hour nap Friday
afternoon before the contest started.
Started the 2nd 24 hours on 40M, with rather placid 150 hours. My biggest
strategic mistake during the weekend was not operating more hours on 40M. Took
a brief 30 minute break during the 0300 hour, my eyes were closing
involuntarily. Would try to be on 160M at the top of the next few hours to
find mults, this seemed to work out well, likewise on 80M at the half hour.
Finally at 0630 felt I had to sleep. Set the alarm for 1.5 hours...slept right
through it despite the clock being 3 inches from my head. Got lucky, woke up at
0930, an hour before sunrise. Still groggy, I did S/P on 160/80/40 and was
rewarded with 20 additional mults over the next 40 minutes. Ran JA and Ws on
40 until heading back to 10M about 45 mins. after my sunrise. Looked at the
totals and decided I'd better do some 15M to catch up on easy EU mults. Found
the pileups on 15M more manageable, and enjoyed the change from 10M. But went
back to 10M and over the morning the rates were in the 150 range, felt I'd
slowed down a step or two. At the top of 2000 UTC, went mult hunting again,
found another 24 new ones in 30 minutes, followed by a 207 hour on 10M for the
best rate of day two. Went into serious mult hunting mode on and off the last
three hours, moving some of the closer in Carib stations through multiple
bands. Overall I was disappointed by the relatively few stations willing to
QSY when asked, but I figured they already had the P4 multiplier within the
15,000 qsos already made by my neighbors P40L and P40F. I miss the days of
being the only active P4 on CW, it is a huge advantage having a country to
yourself. When the final bell went off, there were 6673 raw qsos in the log,
only 97 dupes. I'm of the opinion the improved accuracy of skimmer spots (and
fewer bad spots by humans) was the reason my dupe rate was cut in half from
last year.
A few comments about IDing. I suffered with everyone else when trying to work
selected stations who went several minutes without giving their call. K2SX
(V31EO) explained the situation well. IDing after every QSO is not efficient,
but going too long is not fair either. I tried to ID every 45 to 60 seconds,
but will admit not always accomplishing that goal at times. Whenever I heard ?
or Call? you got an ID from me. But don't do that two Qsos after I've IDd, be a
little more patient please.
A few comments about calling practices. Skimmer has changed the game. Pileups
are now immediate and HUGE. Everyone seems to call zerobeat with the spot. The
smart operators who get through first are the ones who know enough to slide off
frequency up or down a few hundred cycles. Guys, spread out! I'm not in favor
of split operation during CW contests, but I can fully understand why some
operators decided to do it to increase their rate. Calling and calling and
calling will NOT get into my log quickly, I'll ignore you for using such poor
technique and exhibiting a lack of manners.
CQWW CW is an exciting contest, and the upturn in solar activity this year
enhanced its attraction, increased activity, and hopefully the fun quotient for
many. With great conditions, you never know what part of the world might
respond to a CQ. I am amazed afterward how many stations who made >4000
contacts are NOT in my log, many of them multipliers.
Following our Aruban tradition, the operators from P40L, P40F and P40W got
together for dinner an hour afterward to share contest stories and experiences.
Its always great to compare notes.
Thanks to everyone who called in last weekend, especially those who were
willing to QSY to other bands when asked. Congratulations of all of the
ultimate winners, in all entry catagories. And special thanks to P43P for his
continued interest and support of my operations.
Now....on to the 160 Meter contest season....
73,
John Crovelli, W2GD
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