CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW - 2020
Call: K3KU
Operator(s): K3KU
Station: K3KU
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: MD
Operating Time (hrs): 8
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 400 State/Prov = 49 Countries = 12 Total Score = 58,926
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
This being the third Saturday night contest in a row (after NAQP CW and SSB), my
plan was to operate only as long as it was fun, and that's what I told my wife.
"Fun" meant: as long as I could have some exciting runs; or there were
neat mult's to chase (the West Coast, or maybe, maybe some Europeans); or other
interesting QSOs to be had. I figured about 4 hours. I even delayed my start
until 0030Z to do some Saturday evening chores.
The "second night new call" runs were OK, but not so exciting as in
ARRL 160M Test. That's (almost for sure) because people are concentrating on
working DX for 10 points instead of a USA for 2 points. (But, hey, you can work
me so quickly, then get back to chasing Europe.) I even got called by one of
the Humongous Guns from Europe. When I was S&P I could tell that the band
was open to Europe; several of them were amazingly loud (I have no separate RX
antenna; just the one 200-ft dipole). I managed to work only two others, plus a
CT3, the CT9 and the D4, but I never got even a ? from most of the Europeans I
called. The rest of my DX was NA and Caribbean down to the ABC islands.
A loud FM5 was CQing in my face (and most everybody else's, too). He was about
80 Hz below a loud USA CQer whom I had already worked; I called the FM5 over and
over. Sure enough, the USA CQer said "K3KU QSO B4," so I slid up 100Z
and said "CLG FM5xx", and slid back down, called the FM5 a few more
times, then wised up and moved along. There was also a YV for whom I could not
beat the competition; oh, well.
Canada was sparse, except for Ontario and a bit of Quebec. Single QSOs with
Labrador, New Brunswick, and Alberta. The only other Canadian I heard was a
weak VE5 S&P QSO with a Midwest USA station. When I worked VE3MGY (he
really is ubiquitous, especially on 160M) I said "CU RAC CANADA DAY."
He seemed not to realize how high that is on my fun list. I need to do some
publicity to get the Canadians to look for me then.
US states were strangely distributed; maybe some of the nearer ones because of
the excellent skip. E.g., Indiana did not show up until 90 minutes into the
contest. I did work California (and Oregon) and few other Westerners (five
Colorado!). I heard several states S&Ping that I did not work, including
Idaho, where WJ9B lives just a few miles from my brother. At one point my CQ
brought "hiss rglrg dah-dah-dah 9 B". I excitedly sent a report to
WJ9B, but, alas, it was WO9B. TNX QSO OM.
Another time, CQing brought out of the (low) noise "shrk mfrk
dit-dit-dit-dit dah-dit-dah mrrk shrk". A few "HK?" and
"?", and K5KU rises to plenty loud enough. I said "OH HI"
and sent the report. He/they are making pretensions to become the "Real
KU".
About 2:30 AM (0730Z), my wife came down and wondered if I was going to get any
sleep. That suddenly sounded like a good idea. I decided that if I woke up
before dawn, I'd get on again and see if I could get some of the missing western
States and Provinces. I did get back on at 1130Z and operated until 1300Z, well
past sunrise. No new mult's. Indeed, best DX was UT, TX, MN,and IA; all the
rest east of Chicago.
Band Plans. Shame on me, I had not looked them up. I just called where I heard
other people calling. Lots of QSOs below 1810; no Europeans for me, but I don't
care; NA makes me happy. Lots of activity above 1850, especially after the
Medical Symptom QRO SSB and AM Nets shut down. (I shouldn't complain. In NAQP
SSB a couple of years ago one of those guys asked me to please move further off
their frequency. I said "Oh, sorry; sure I'll move. But as long as you're
here, could you give me your name and state?" And that's how I got the WV
mult for that contest.)
Thanks for all the QSOs. Only five months to Canada Day, and nine months to SS
CW.
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