CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW - 2023
Call: WX0B
Operator(s): AD5Q
Station: WX0B
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Dallas
Operating Time (hrs): 45:56
OpMode: 2BSIQ
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 22 6 11
80: 106 16 47
40: 894 29 86
20: 452 31 86
15: 1173 33 98
10: 695 31 90
------------------------------
Total: 3342 146 418 Total Score = 5,105,328
Club: DFW Contest Group
Comments:
The ionosphere went schizophrenic on us with perfect timing for the CQWW.
40 was OK the first night, slightly off from last year. 80 & 160 were
horrible. The 2nd night was a bust. After the evening JA runs on 10 & 15 I
couldn't find rate anywhere. Activity was light, and 80 & 160 seemed
deserted. The overnight openings on 20 & 40 were marginal. But through it
all K5GN was everywhere: working stuff in pileups that I couldn't hear and
running on bands that seemed mostly dead. He out-maneuvers all of us and hears
better. I almost fell off my chair when I heard him working P33W on a 160 run,
and I never heard a single EU all weekend there. He was 2BSIQ on 40/20 where I
couldn't run on either.
Part of this is that I avoid being the alligator, finding it personally
humiliating when I have to dig most of the callers out of the noise and give up
on some of them. Also, the rate sucks. I will find something else to do -
usually.
But then there was the daytime propagation and the bands were loaded with
activity. I played with 2BSIQ in the big morning runs with mixed results. On
Saturday my 10 Qso (burst) rate peaked at 315 (1447z), with the 100Q sustained
rate at 223 and the 60 minute best at 194 shortly after 1500z. On Sunday these
same numbers were 302, 173 & 162 - all at around 1525z. But there was a
problem:
I took my main off time at around 0900z on Sunday like I always do, but
physically deteriorated and reached a point of exhaustion while the high bands
were peaking. This also happened last year (worse BTW). So while pushing rates
in the high 200's I was seriously thirsty and my head was about to crash into
the keyboard. There is always a mini-fridge within arm's reach, but it is
unavailable when rates are high. Rates eventually started to plummet. I was high
in the bands, especially on 10 (28126) - way above the FT8 blobs. When bands
start to close, activity dries up at the high end of a band and sweeps down - so
we need a lower frequency. I gave up both runs for 5 minutes and chugged a big
glass of almond milk. Then I found new frequencies on 15 & 10, but on 10 the
rate was good but the callers were all VE's and W's. In other words, 10 was
closing in Europe and it was time to move lower and/or do mults. I meant to
switch to 20/15 for 2BSIQ, but after securing a run freq on 20 I found the rate
good and used the other radio for badly needed mult sweeps. This might have been
too soon, as I might have been able to run on 15 for longer.
There was no more 2BSIQ. Instead, there was brain fog until about 2100z. I was
detached from what I was doing - observing, not thinking, not understanding that
the beeping wasn't originating inside the radios. Yet, my fingers automatically
typed callsigns and worked stations - both on the 20m run and in the pileups.
Very surreal. I sat and watched it happen, and it was good entertainment.
For 2BSIQ we need more endurance and I think I've reached some sort of personal
limit. Need to change something. Sleep more (No Way!!) Eat better contest food?
Or maybe just hang a tube from the ceiling to gravity feed my Monster bevs
during the Sunday runs.
About the station...
Station was upgraded in 2010. Photos on-line are mostly before then.
Tower 1 (rotates at the base):
20m: 4x4x4 @ 135/90/45' on 33' booms - YO optimized
40m: 2x2 Cal-Av 2D-40A's @ 127/55 - these are basically HB9CV's - not yagis and
way better. Both elements driven.
80m: Horizontal (Inverted Vee at 125') NE/SW - stateside antenna
Vertical (Inverted Vee hung sideways up the tower and pulled out from
center at feedpoint. Shaped like "<" character.
160: Wire from 125' guy ring on tower resonates nearby flagpole with 50
radials.
6m: 6 el on 18' boom at about 30 or 35' (not sure)
Tower 2
15m: 5x5 @ 101/50 on 36' booms - YO optimized. Lower fixed on EU
10m: 5x5x5 @ 111/95/60 on 25' booms - YO optimized - all separately rotatable.
Tower 3 (Only about 25')
Opti Tri-Bander currently fixed SE - 2 elements per band
Receive: SAL-30 (we are the beta site for these)
All events hosted by Jay & Sharon WX0B/N5CK.
And very appreciated!
de Roy -- AD5Q
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