ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: K0DQ
Operator(s): K0DQ
Station: WW1WW

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA
Operating Time (hrs): 44
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
  Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   160:   69    35
    80:  374    69
    40: 1327   103
    20: 1556   110
    15: 1237   101
    10:  131    64
-------------------
Total: 4694   482  Total Score = 6,784,632

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

What a contest!

BATTLESHIP NEW HAMPSHIRE.

A former Pentagon boss of mine - a notable cold warrior - was famous for
observing that "bureaucracies do things well the second and subsequent times." 
That may be true for contesters.
This was the second contest shakedown cruise with a completely outfitted
battlewagon.  CQWW was the first and we were putting it together to the last
minute, obviating any opportunity to test out and get familiar with what is a
fairly sophisticated antenna and station matrix.  This time a computer crash
provided last minute angst, but I felt a bit more at home staring at all the
buttons and switches.  (Thanks to N6TV and the Win-Test crew for quick
response.)

Essentially, Woody, WW1WW, has taken away all my hardware excuses.
There may still be a little improvement in 80 meter antennas and station
automation, but other than the great equalizer of propagation, we can hold our
own with most in a pile up.

The station is truly an engineering marvel - both electronically and
mechanically - and beautiful to behold.  My favorite navy flagship was USS
IOWA (my home state) and this is as good as it gets in the radio contesting
world.  Fred, KK1KW, who operates some of the phone contests at Woody's had
some T-shirts made up with the Battleship silhouette.
They are a treasured memento.
Most importantly, the partnership of the last year with Woody, WW1WW, has been
a true joy.  His passion for excellence in physics and engineering has been
incredible.  Whenever I say "we're out on the flat part of the curve,"he says
"we can go further out!"  Thanks, shipmate.

THE SHAKEDOWN CRUISE.

The amazing thing is that after all these years, I still have no idea at the
end of a contest how I have done compared to others.

In this case, the good news was that my claimed score just broke the existing
record of 6.588 million set by W4PA at K5ZD in 2004 (I paid special attention
to accuracy, but will be a tight squeeze to make it through the log checking
process with a new record intact).  However, there was only marginal comfort
in that since I knew that 8 million was very possible.
Indeed, the top scores in CQWW CW would have all broken 8 million when scored
for ARRL DX (i.e. without zone multipliers).
The key to 8 million points was ten meters being open to Europe.  Based on
CQWW and the original SFI predictions of 150-165, I set personal goals of 5000
QSO's (after dupes) and 8 million points.  As the contest approached the
predictions for SFI kept decreasing until it reached an actual 103 on Friday
before the contest, down some 30 points from CQWW CW.  Matt, KC1XX, told me on
Friday that the mid-Atlantic guys (like
K3ZO) had been working Europeans on 10 that he couldn't hear.  I still
remember the year W4AN in Georgia beat K1AR in CQWW with assistance from an
early morning opening to Europe on 20 which John didn't get.  Thus the nagging
fear that K3CR, N2NT, NN3W, K4ZW, or one of the other more "Southern Guns"
(can you spell K1TO?) would whomp New England.  As a Washington DC area
resident who had traveled north, that would indeed be poetic justice.  Then,
of course, there were K8PO and VY2TT who would have the same ten meter problem
but are always a threat, especially on the low bands.

In the event, the runs Saturday were some of the best I have ever experienced
from the US.  Period!  At 1111Z the 'last hour' QSO rate hit 150 and stayed
above 150 for four hours.  At 1209Z I completed a 200 hour and remained above
200 for two hours, running on 20 and 15.  The best full hour of the contest
was 216 ending at 1322 and the last 10 rate hit 356 at 1227.

In the meantime, I was checking 10 on the second radio, listening to KC1XX and
others.  There were a few Europeans, but very spotty.  I kept telling myself,
if I lose this, it will be by a strategic mistake of not going to 10.  But the
rates were good and I consoled myself by thinking that Sunday would be another
day when I would be fresh meat on 10.  I also knew that by the end of the
contest each multiplier would be worth
about 9 QSOs, so it seemed to make sense.   But that nagging feeling
wouldn't go away and, finally, at 1457 I bit the bullet and went to ten.
  The rate immediately dropped from 200+ to under 100 but I was able to work
77 QSO's in 47 minutes, including mostly southern Europeans.  With that down
payment, I went back to 15, not knowing that would be virtually the last
Europeans in the log on ten.

I kept pushing the rate and even without ten meters ended up with 3188 QSO's
at the halfway point, just slightly below the CQWW mark in the 3200 range. I
often take a few hours off around 0100Z but decided to stick it out until the
more traditional drought between European and US sunrise which usually starts
around 0800Z.  Sometime in there I noticed the polar flutter set in and
running became difficult on any band.  At 0100 the rate dropped below 100 and
steadily decreased.  At 0200 I went to 20 for lack of anything better to do
and found the "Polar Shopping Mall" open for business.  On a whim I put the
second radio on 15 and voila, JA's and East Asians in number. Worked several,
including 9M6, BA, UA0 and DU.  After a brief 160 stint I thought "I wonder"
and switched the second radio to ten meters.  There were two signals on the
band, KC1XX on ground wave and JA3YBK 20 over 9 with aurora flutter.  I was
stunned, but put him in the log at 0340Z (2300 local rather than the sleep-
deprived memory of 0100 reported earlier) for one of the more memorable QSO's
in almost 60 years of hamming.

Slugged it out with rates below 50 until 0600Z.  Forty meters never became
runnable at European sunrise.  Slow learner that I am, I went to 20 at 0600
and got something of a "Polar Shopping Mall" run going, rising to a 108 rate
at 0700Z.  By this time, however, I'm out of gas and decide to rest, hoping
the morning runs will be better.

They were good but not great.  Nice surprises on 20 included calls by VR2KF,
XU7ACY, DU1/JJ5GMJ, a BY, a 5 watt HL and new best friend 9M6XRO.
  15 brought a YB and VU.  By 1600Z the rate dropped below 100 and stayed
there most of the rest of the day.  The afternoon 40 meter run never gathered
much steam (although 9V1YC LP was a nice surprise) and it became obvious 5000
Q's would not materialize.  I didn't work a single European on 10 the second
day. After forgetting to work a W on 160 in CQWW, I paid more attention to the
multiplier board and pretty much cleaned up the Caribbean expeditions.  Not
many QSY's, but old friends ZD8Z and VP9/W6PH kindly obliged.  Never heard
Jimmy on 10 or 80, nor did Kurt ever pop out 15 and 10 (but he's an Air Force
Academy grad, so that's to be expected).

All in all, a wild ride.  No contest is the same but this one is at the outer
edge of the standard deviation in my experience.

Special kudos to Chas, K3WW, and Bud, AA3B, who have obviously figured out how
balance spots with running in the assisted category.  Also, Randy, K5ZD's 5M
in a mere 30 hours assisted is a reminder that there are always bears in the
woods.  Then there's that di-poler guy, K1AR, who's been known to win a few
contests.  Of course, Jeff, VY2ZM's (who beat me last year) decision to go
single band was a big factor.  In short, Sic gloria transit-you're only as
good as your last contest.
Thanks to all for the QSO's.  It's a privilege to be shipmates with you.

CU on phone from P40L with John and the other Admiral, N4OC.