CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW - 2022
Call: VK6N
Operator(s): N5ZO
Station: VK6ANC
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: VK/ZL
Operating Time (hrs): 45
OpMode: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 27 10 18
80: 236 21 58
40: 1187 27 82
20: 1100 30 75
15: 992 27 68
10: 603 19 60
------------------------------
Total: 4145 134 361 Total Score = 5,983,560
Club: VK Contest Club
Comments:
After CQWW SSB from E2A I stayed in Thailand and XYL also travelled there for
some vacation time at beach and some time exploring sights in Bangkok. XYL then
returned to CA and I travelled to Perth on Friday week before the CW contest and
got to meet everyone at "car boot sale" that was happening at club on
Sunday. Big Ultrabeam's rotator was bust and there was mad scramble by club
members to find tower climber to swap rotator on it. Over here one has to be
official tower climber in order to do any antenna work at tower. That Ultrabeam
was going to be my main weapon as tests showed it to be much better than 3
element Steppir yagi at slightly lower tower. Fortunately rotator was swapped
on Tuesday before the contest and I was back in business. There were few
complications inside shack but nothing that could not be eventually solved by
hard work during the week. Due to some existing automation with Ultrabeam I had
to use completely unfamiliar beast size TS-990 as left radio and I had carried
K3 to use as right radio. Ultrabeam was on TS-990 and Steppir on K3 and there
were also 2 different low dipoles for 80 and another low dipole on 160. So at
the end both radios were able to be on any band 10-80. There were no RX
antennas and probably those would not survive very long with many kangoroos
jumping around after sunset all night in bushes. Station is inside large park
and there are probably thousands of those jumpers around and they seemed to
emerge always around sunset. I did have few equipment hick-ups during contest
as there wasn't enough time to test everything but with 2 radios I was most of
the time on air with something. 2 yagis although in separate towers are very
close to each others and there seemed to be some RFI getting into left side
station that locked up my PTT line with certain antenna directions and required
restart of logging program and power cycle of 990 to get out of it.
Somehow I had lots of problems to get good night sleep whole week when in Perth.
Maybe because it is summer here and days are long with quite early sunrise. I
kept waking up very early every morning and just could never get back to
sleeping, including Friday-Saturday night before the contest when I only slept
2-3 hours althogh starting time here would be otherwise optimal at 8 am local
time. But due to lack of sleep all week I think I have never entered CQ WW so
exhausted as I was when contest began.
Contest began with good conditions and I just kept going all Saturday on high
bands. I had quite low expectations for 80/160 due to antennas that were
available but I was very surprised when few EU stations actually heard me (and I
also heard them) with those low dipoles, and I think it motivated me to try even
harder on those bands and at the end scoore there was quite reasonable
considering etreme distance from everywhere. Sunday conditions on higher bands
were much worse that Saturday including almost completely missing 10 m except at
very end when band opened to US West coast just before contest ended. But night
on 40/80/160 was again quite productive. I only slept about 2 hours at
beginning of Sunday and it completely refreshed my operating and I was able to
continue to end with not too many "what I'm doing here moments". It
was definetly interesting experience again to operate this contest from this
unique location and experience some good long path propagation also here !
I wish I would have more time to explore Perth area as one does not travel this
part of the world too many times but after 7-8 weeks away from home I also want
to get back and will be flying on Thursday already.
I want to thank Northern Corridor Radio Group members for allowing me to use
this fine station. There are some antenna improvements planned at the station
in future, including new tower and dedicated 40 m yagi, so it should be even
easier to get always rare zone 29 into log in future. Special thanks to
especially following club members who helped to arrange station for my use,
solve equipment issues or other troubles before the contest and/or bring food
for me during contest: VK6ML, VK6APK, VK6NU, VK6EI, VK6MIT, VK6LIN. I'm sure
I'm already forgetting someone but your help was appreciated much ! Great new
friendships were made !.
This was my 35th zone to operate CQWW contest from, working all 40 is getting
ever closer. 73 de Marko N5ZO
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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