CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB
Call: RT2A
Operator(s): RM2D
Station: UA3AB
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Near Moscow
Operating Time (hrs): 30
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 57 5 25
80: 301 10 50
40: 274 20 72
20: 997 18 75
15: 246 23 67
10: 106 10 34
------------------------------
Total: 1981 86 323 Total Score = 1,080,578
Club:
Comments:
Planning, preparation and targets are always good for performance. All of this
was done, but nevertheless, this turned out to be challenged by Mother Earth
and her big sister, the beloved impressive sun...
My initial plan was to perhaps enter into a Single Band Operation from my
modest Small Pistol Station RM2D. The rotator for the Hexbeam stopped working
some months ago and lack of time and drive to fix that problem gave me just a
few options (Single Band 80 or 40). On CW that would have been fun, but I was
hesitant to enter on SSB with just verticals on Low Bands.
So when Andrew, UA3AB, asked me if I would like to use his excellent station
instead, the decision was easy to make.
Target files from two appropriate challenges were created in Win-Test. One for
Unassisted and one for Assisted. I had not made my mind up whether to go for
Assisted or not, but eventually decided for not using cluster - maybe a wrong
decision as conditions really turned out to be more challenging than ever in a
CQWW Phone contest.
Some of our Scandinavian friends explained the feeling of being inside the
Aurora oval... I was not exactly inside, but for sure affected in this Eastern
part of Europe. While south and west Europeans worked pile to North America on
the Saturday, I only managed to break through to the big guns on the East Coast
(5 or 6 US stations in the log that day).
Sunday was slightly better on 20 towards USA, 15 meters opened a bit to JA and
zone 26/27/28/29 and 30, but only big guns on the band. Casual JA's had
probably started collecting stamps or keyrings instead of exposing themselves
to these kind of propagation challenges.
Instead of sitting 48 hours in the chair, aiming for some nice UA3 or European
Russia, this became an endless fight against the voice inside myself that
repeated the words "time to quit". I managed to mobilize forces for
the second day through a useful sleep of 5 hours. Low Bands were disaster and
never even heard any US on 40 and 80 meters, despite of 3 elements on 80 and
stacked yagis on 40. West and South Europeans should come here to Moscow some
time when K index is 4-5 and A index close to 30. Then they would appreciate
any bad conditions in their own places.
Anyway, despite the above challenges, the experience was still excellent. This
thanks to Andrew UA3AB and his XYL Lena! Thanks a lot for hosting me and I was
really spoilt by excellent lunches, dinners and breakfast!
In the CW leg I think I might be in VK4 land, so maybe I will have a chance to
visit some station there - otherwise, see you in CQWW 2017 :)
Mats RM2D (SM6LRR)
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