| DX | - | - | EU | - |
| W |
140
|
- | DL |
186
|
| VE |
13
|
- | UA |
80
|
| UA9 |
11
|
- | OK |
60
|
| KP2 |
4
|
- | UR |
60
|
| EA8 |
2
|
- | G |
56
|
| P4 |
2
|
- | SP |
50
|
| UN |
2
|
- | I |
41
|
| 3V |
1
|
- | S5 |
33
|
| 4L |
1
|
- | PA |
32
|
| 4X |
1
|
- | LY |
27
|
| W/VE | - | - | W/VE | - |
| PA |
13
|
- | TX |
6
|
| VA |
13
|
- | GA |
5
|
| MD |
11
|
- | TN |
5
|
| NY |
10
|
- | IL |
4
|
| OH |
9
|
- | CO |
3
|
| FL |
8
|
- | IA |
3
|
| MA |
7
|
- | IN |
3
|
| NC |
6
|
- | MI |
3
|
| NJ |
6
|
- | QC |
3
|
| ON |
6
|
- | AL |
2
|
Points : 724,556, Single-Op Assisted, QRV : 24+ hours
The Mults and Score were all down compared with some previous years, operating from the same location. This year the 160m antenna was a single inverted-vee dipole with the centre at 90ft. In previous years I have used two separate dipoles at right-angles.
The receive antenna set-up was also not as elaborate as in previous years. The ability to hear well is all-important on 160m. In previous years I have used three Beverages, however this year there were just two and even those were not working ideally. The picture above right shows a tree which recently fell right on top of one of the two Beverages. There cannot be many in the CQWW 160m contest using a Beverage with a large tree fallen on top of it! Unfortunately there was no time to sort this mess out before the contest. Meanwhile during the contest the second Beverage seemed a little quieter than usual. It was only after the contest that I noticed that the usual residents of the neighbouring field (the sheep) had succeeded in ripping off the last 250ft of the Beverage!
Spent most of daytime on Friday outside installing the transmit antenna (it's a field-day style set-up with no permanent antennas.). Started the contest at 22z on Friday and worked solidly through to 0900z on Saturday. During the first night I was doing mostly S&P and did not CQ much, if at all. The last Non-EU QSO on Saturday morning was AA4V at 0823z and the overall last QSO on Saturday morning was SO1RE at 0855z. During almost one hour after my SR (0806z) several Caribbean stations could be heard. However they had either been already worked, or in several cases, were just deaf to my calling.
Back again in the shack by 1520z on Saturday afternoon. First QSO was G4RGK at 1526z. Spent much of Saturday evening CQing which helped increase the number of QSOs. In order to be alert for the Sunday morning dawn a five hour sleep break was taken from 2230z to 0330z. Things sounded quite perky with W/VE coming through well when I got back on at 0330z, and I had assumed that propagation would improve even more as we approached SR. This was not the case. The best opening to W/VE during the entire contest for me seemed to be from when I got back on again at 0330z up to about 0600z. There was no substantive dawn lift on Sunday morning.
At the 0804z SR on Sunday just two US stations were worked (KU8E and K4RO). This was not much of a SR peak! There was then a continuous trickle of European (and mostly UK) stations up until 0900z. Returned to the shack for the final session, starting at 1605z. The last six hours up to 22z were spent chasing around after any unworked station that popped up on the screen and that could be heard amongst the general bedlam of a CQWW 160 contest.
The DXCC highlight was working YE1K and OA4DX for two all-time new ones on Topband. West Coast? Two AZ, one UT and no CA. i.e not much!
Top-10 DX and Top-10 EU
Top-20 States/Prov
