CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW - 2023
Call: VU2CDP
Operator(s): VU2CDP
Station: VU2CDP
Class: SO(A)AB HP
QTH: near Kaas plateau
Operating Time (hrs): 40
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 0
80: 27 11 21
40: 273 25 71
20: 338 25 63
15: 800 33 101
10: 1072 32 99
------------------------------
Total: 2510 126 355 Total Score = 3,036,553
Club: VU Contest Group
Comments:
Antennas:
20-15-10: Hexbeam at 20'
40: 1/4 vertical with 2 elevated radials
80: inverted vee dipole
Another memorable CQWW is behind us. This was yet another field operation from
the same QTH as last year - a cottage that sits on a ridge at over 3000 ft ASL
overlooking two dams on either side. Being on the edge of a nature reserve, it
offers the required quietness for HF radio along with the necessary db to hear
and be heard despite the simplicity of the antennas. The antenna choices are
also dictated by the size of the car - carry only what fits - and the
possibility of erecting and dismantling safely by a single person. QSO totals
are dictated by band condx and operator skill.
This year I budgeted an extra day from the learnings of last year and arrived on
site on Wednesday. With assistance, all antennas were up on Thursday, and Friday
was spent testing the stn and relaxing. The contest starts at 5.30am local and
is usually slow going for the first few hours. The pace picks up after the high
bands open allowing runs at very modest rates. Saturday was spent doing just
that after finding 10m wide open. Highlight from Saturday evening was running NA
East Coast on 15m with quite a few callers from FL, a tough path over the pole.
The run was interrupted by a sudden thunderstorm with strong winds accompanied
by thunder and lightning. A tense 1.5 hrs were spent fearing the beam might
crash or be blown away by the swirling wind currents that are not uncommon at
these heights. Luckily everything survived and I was back on the radio shortly
after the storm subsided. Murphy manifested itself by interrupting another run,
this time with a known fault in the radio that became worse. After a few
attempts to fix and the radio becoming unresponsive, I pulled the plug. A 3 hr
nap later I was back with the fault having mitigated somewhat with the radio
responding to inputs. This lasted until afternoon when another run had to be
stopped as the problem resurfaced. Despite trying a few different things, the
only option was to power off. A few hundred Qs had been cumulatively lost by
then. I resumed close to sunset when the rig seemed to behave. The next 12 hrs
played out uneventfully and I was able to get somewhat respectable Q totals by
the end. Even though it rained again on Sun night, it was thankfully nothing
like the previous day's storm.
Prop notes:
10m - the money band as expected allowing some good QSO hrs with enough mults
calling to keep me in the chair for long.
15m - the bread and butter band for z22 and it never disappoints.
20m - under-served due to the high SFI, higher noise levels and the audience
mostly on 10m.
40m - poor. It was a struggle as the static levels were high on both nights.
Second night was better as I had a few slow runs fighting QSB. I also seemed to
get out better on Sunday night though I felt like an alligator often.
80m - write-off. Everything I worked was off the cluster and the other stn's
ability to hear me. Will need an RX antenna next year.
You can't win CQ Contests from zone 22 so we are in it just for fun to work DX,
old friends and make new ones. Thank you for the QSOs, log will be on LoTW
soon.
73, Deepak VU2CDP
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