CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB - 2023
Call: PJ2T
Operator(s): W3ACO W7MAH K0PZH VE4GV W4IPC WX4W W0CG W5GAI N7NR K8ND N7WA KG5XR
Station: PJ2T
Class: M/M HP
QTH: Curacao
Operating Time (hrs): 48
Remote Operation
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
-------------------------------
160: 75 10 21
80: 591 20 68
40: 2019 28 104
20: 3001 37 123
15: 3582 37 127
10: 3361 31 115
-------------------------------
Total: 12629 163 558 Total Score = 26,702,235
Club: CCC
Comments:
Our sport has a brighter future than many pessimists think. This weekend we were
privileged to host three top notch contest operators in their early twenties.
Connor Black, W4IPC, returned for his second year of CQWW SSB at PJ2T. He needs
no introduction as one of the world’s best, at any age, and we were delighted
to have him here again. He is brilliant in every way. Levi Stevens, KG5XR,
joined us from Mississippi on this, his farthest ever trip south, and his first
exposure to a multi/multi. He adapted instantly to the complex PJ2T station,
operated as if he were a professional with years of experience, and was willing
to do whatever was needed to support the contest effort and station maintenance.
He’s finishing up an EE degree and will be in the Navy (submarines) next year
at this time. Paige Harper, K0PZH, burst onto the contesting scene recently from
Iowa and also seemed not like a beginner but a seasoned professional. Paige ran
fast and accurately, and handled the equipment with very little orientation
needed. She’s super sharp, and I hope she will return to Curacao. Soon she
expects to start grad school in pursuit of an MSW or related advanced degree.
These three folks pulled down the arithmetic average age of our group such that
this is the “youngest” team we have ever had here.
We were also very happy to welcome back CCC member Rich Haendel, W3ACO. Not only
was he a great asset to the team on the radios, running fast when needed and
patiently chasing mults at other times, he was a huge help in troubleshooting
problems. Murphy hit us hard in the week prior to the contest, with multiple
severe problems that might have derailed our entire operation. Rich calmed me
down, assured me that we’d “figure it all out,” and then worked through
them systematically with me. Everything got “fixed enough” to get us through
the weekend. On top of all the other fun, we lost the 160 TX antenna at the
contest start and thus forfeited all of the first night. But it was on the air
Saturday night after some very innovative troubleshooting and adaptation by
Rich. We were thus able to snag the obligatory easy mult QSOs on Top Band. Rich
was accompanied by his brilliant daughter Dr. Melissa Haendel, W7MAH, who
operated some, cooked a lot, smiled even more, and kept us all relaxed, fed, and
happy all week. She’s a total winner.
Dr. Rob Kaufman, VE4GV, parachuted in on Thursday afternoon, unable to leave his
endodontic surgery practice in Winnipeg for more than a handful of days. But he
landed softly, ready to go, needed zero orientation, and proceeded to spool off
a 321 hour at the opening on 20, our best rate hour of the contest. He dominates
his frequency with superb technique and an authoritative voice. He’s a
longstanding CCC member who has been very supportive of our club group, has
great tee shirts, and tells funny stories.
Members Curtis Foote, WX4W, and Skip Cameron, W5GAI, were accompanied by their
XYLs. Both Cindy and Pam, respectively, are southern gals, so they had a good
time meeting and chatting and seeing a bit of this unique island. Both Curtis
and Skip were super contributors to the contest effort, and happily covered some
graveyard shifts as well as the fun daylight ones. I’m grateful to both of
them for their continuing support of PJ2T.
Once again we made excellent use of the PJ2T remote station, with N7NR, N7WA,
and K8ND taking shifts on our multi/multi team. They covered 25 band-hours and
made about 2450 contacts. We thank Gene Shea, KB7Q, for initially teaching us
about remoting. From that inception we have now developed a fully functional
remote station that includes a significant amount of equipment designed and
home-brewed by W0CG; a newly installed bandpass filter system developed and
built by N7IR, W8WTS, and W0CG; software crafted by DL8OBQ; wide-area networked
logging introduced to us by W8WTS and KB7Q; and equipment very generously
donated by one of our members. For 18 months we have enjoyed a reliable and
screaming fast direct fiber drop to the PJ2T house, and have made good use of
that to enhance our remote operating. Through all of this period of time KB7Q
has remained a patient mentor to all of us, overwatching everything we do in
remote operation and always being ready to help when we go astray. Without Gene,
none of this would have happened.
Conditions were down very significantly here compared to 2022 CQWW SSB. At some
times the bands simply seemed to die, and the low bands were particularly
challenging, as expected at this point in the sunspot cycle. But everyone stayed
patient and pressed forward. As mentioned above, we lost the first night of 160
and about an hour of potentially very productive time on 10, but we’re still
proud of our numbers.
But it was SSB. I’m looking forward to November, and a much quieter, less
chaotic shack. We started this group in 1994 with a gang of CW lovers, and
we’re still primarily of that ilk.
Thanks to my patient and loving partner of 16 years, Dorothy Dahlgren, and to
our CCC members who provide the resources to keep this place on the air. It’s
never a given that PJ2T will show up at 0000Z for a contest. To do that, more
effort than you’ll ever imagine is required. But this weekend we did it again
and dropped the PJ2 mult into lots of logs worldwide. CQWW CW 2024 will be our
25th anniversary of PJ2T contesting, never easy, but always gratifying.
It was fun to see friends around the globe this weekend. We’re all brothers
and sisters in this magnificent worldwide community, and I’m proud to be part
of it.
For CCC’s members and our 2023 CQWW SSB team, 73,
- Geoff, W0CG, PJ2DX
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|