CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW - 2023
Call: K4HQK
Operator(s): K4HQK
Station: K4HQK
Class: SOAB HP
Class Overlay: Classic
QTH: Alexandria, VA
Operating Time (hrs): 16.5
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160:
80: 14 4 11
40: 82 15 48
20: 84 20 51
15: 37 11 24
10: 92 19 53
------------------------------
Total: 309 69 187 Total Score = 220,672
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
This contest was one of exciting propagation enjoyed by a huge worldwide
turnout. The bands were in great shape for most of the weekend, with sunspot
counts that made one blink. I regret not spending more time on the lively 80m
band (antenna problem) but 40m-10m fully compensated. Most fun: a very busy 10
meters with low noise and mostly inaudible QRM while calling a station.
However, we had to deal with some wobbly, “underwater”-sounding signals
Saturday morning. Late that afternoon the JAs were wobbling, too. The N0NBH
propagation box on qrz.com began showing deterioration Saturday morning and by
2100 UTC all bands were classified as “Poor.” Sunday morning, however,
things had returned to normal.
With my “limited antenna” station I struggled to collect 309 QSOs across the
weekend when not engaged in family activities. Despite the great propagation,
the skip patterns seemed a bit short. Pacific stations sounded weak. Africa and
Asia made only a few appearances in my receiver. I worked Australia a couple of
times but could not penetrate the pile-up pursuing New Zealand stations. Ditto
for ZD7BG on St. Helena Island—crushing pileup! And FW5N (Wallis & Futuna
I.) was heard briefly underneath a huge pileup for which I could not hope to be
heard.
I did, however, bag 7O73T on Socotra Island, Yemen, a new entity for my DXCC
count (303 when this one’s confirmed)—assuming I heard correctly through the
QRM of nonstop callers. I was also pleased to work a few semi-rare ones,
including 9H6A, C37N, C6AQQ (what a pileup for a station in the Bahamas!),
FY5FY, six JAs, MD4K, OH0Z, OX7AM, P3D, SX9V, TK4W, UP2L, and three VKs.
Worked these busy operations on four different bands (40m-10m): CN3A, CR3A,
OM7M, PJ2T, PJ4K, and ZF1A. And these on three bands: CR3W, CR6K, D4C, ED7W,
EF6T, HQ9X, P40L, PX2A, PY2NY, PZ5CO, S53M, TI7W, TM1A, and TM7A.
Several fellow PVRC members expressed annoyance at rude behavior in pileups. I
heard it, too, including the 7O73T example mentioned above, and a guy in the
10th call area who would not stop sending his call while the DX station was
working someone else. Hey, dudes, this is just a hobby. And there were a few
runners who worked one after another without sending his call until someone
asked for it. What a waste of time listening if you’re in S&P mode, as I
was.
So the bottom line for my 309 QSOs: 82 different countries, 26 different zones,
and a score of 220,672.
John K4HQK
Alexandria, Virginia
Station: IC-7410, ALS-600 amp, R6000 vertical, and low-altitude dipoles.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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