ARRL DX Contest, CW
Call: WX0B
Operator(s): AD5Q
Station: WX0B
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Dallas
Operating Time (hrs): 45:44
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 32 26
80: 185 56
40: 866 82
20: 816 89
15: 1186 101
10: 917 88
-------------------
Total: 4002 442 Total Score = 5,256,264
Club: DFW Contest Group
Comments:
Deja Vu? As in the CQWW, my Qso total is barely above the 4k mark - and I pushed
really hard in the final hour to do that (both contests). I am knocking on the
door of the elite 4000 Club, and again will be denied entry by the log
checkers. If I had pushed as hard in the final 5 hours of the contest, I might
have enough extra Q's in the log to get in. And why didn't I do that?
Fatigue!!! With this sunspot cycle getting long in the tooth, the next chance
may not be until cycle 25.
With the solar flux already down from recent months, I was not expecting the
openings on 10 to be very enduring or deep. Not a problem though, as I would
just move down to 15 when the rate dropped. 10 surprised, however, and I stayed
there as long as I could - both days.
We learn something new about these contests each time we do them. I've figured
out how to maximize my Qso totals, and it's time to work on mults more - by
trying different things. In contests, I like to run and hate to pounce. As long
as the rate is under 150, 2nd radio mults come pretty easy. I've run a computer
analysis of all the top CQWW scores for the past 2 years, and it shows mult
totals for run, pounce and SO2R - and the time spent running vs pouncing: for
each op (except the guys that don't interface their radios to the software).
Well, the big guys are killing me in just one category: pounce mults. They
spend LESS time running, and work more mults per hour when they pounce. I still
don't get it. When I sweep the bands I don't find so many. So there's something
to be said about knowing WHEN to pounce, and WHERE.
So what did I do this time? I ran almost non-stop! Most of my pouncing was
during the lowband openings on the first night. I pounced for 22 minutes on the
2nd night and even less on Sunday. That wasn't the plan, but my mult totals are
modestly up. For years, I've used N5AW's low power mult totals as a benchmark.
He's local, he pounces the bands consistently and systematically (with
occasional runs), and he always beats me in mults. So this time we're almost
tied - a major milestone for me. We have another unassisted Texas local who
beats EVERYBODY in mults with a very unorthodox tuning style and lots of sleep
time. In the next published CQWW results, we will learn how he does it. Watch
for his call. His log crashed my program for a very interesting reason. Thank
you SP2HWW!
Band conditions were good, including the lowbands both nights. On the 2nd night
there didn't seem to be much fresh meat on 80 so I kept running. I didn't do as
much 40 the second night because I loaded up on 10/15 JA's in the evening, then
tried to do the same on 20, encountered Russians, and ran them for a while. I
also got my full 90 minute sleep break before the JA run, which wasn't as good
as day 1. On Sunday the 10/15 runs continued until 1900z, and I may have even
gone to 20 too early. This is where fatigue set in, and I lost focus on band
strategy - staying too long in runs with low rates while sweeping other bands
for mults and not finding many. But at least I knew which buttons to push for a
run Qso: I've had the brain fog much worse - usually right after a short nap,
which is why I don't dare take sleep breaks that late in the contest.
The Monday morning drive to Houston in the sleet storm was another adventure I
will not forget.
SennyTree
Roy -- AD5Q
Aspie Ducky Five QUACK!
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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