[ADXA] CQWW 160 CW Report

[w5znjoel at gmail.com]

A below average weekend in this year’s CQWW 160 CW contest. We’re in the bad propagation time for 160 meters, or so the theorists who worship the sun claim. During the peak of the sunspot cycle data suggests the low bands, especially 160 meters, bottoms out.

 

I usually enter the single op, high power category with no assistance, meaning I don’t use the DX cluster or spotting networks to locate needed Qs and Mults. I prefer to find and work my Q’s based on my own ability and not spend the weekend chasing DX cluster spots. Nothing wrong with entering in the assisted category, I just choose not to. This weekend I achieved my lowest score since 2018 however I was not alone. The poor conditions were shared by all, even the east coast folks who can look out the window and see EU !!! I finished with 47 states (AK and HI are defined as countries in this contest) so I missed WY. It appears from participant comments most everyone else did as well. I finished with 36 DX countries and was glad to work that many however I had zero JA’s this year. Even so, I may have another top 10 finish in the SOHP category and maybe a top 5 or higher USA. The very poor condx at K3ZM, AA1K, and other east coast BIG GUNS helps.

 

The poor condx were not unique to NA, as my good friend Don, G3BJ, operating his G5W contest station, that will usually deliver a knock out punch, said condx from EU were dead in the water, i.e. not making across the ocean!

 

Stan did exceptionally well from ZF5T although he notes condx were very bad as well. His ZF location is a primo spot plus he has built a great station and is a great op. Also, to make things just a little bit better it was sunny and 80 degrees there !!!!  I’m guessing the wx at Kevin’s VA1EET QTH was slightly different 😊 Looks like Stan may have the top spot in SOHP again this year. CONGRATS OM !

 

You can view the claimed scores on the 3830 scores contest posting at https://www.3830scores.com/currecscores.php?arg=Rv7uJizV77nuxU and you can click on the individual callsign to read soap box comments.

 

Thanks to the ADXA folks who are in my log. If I missed someone here, I apologize as I’m going solely by memory: K5EJ, K5UZ, K5UR, K5VR, KF5TL, K9OZ, N5ZM, N5QS, N5QT, W5KI, WA5BDU, WB5BHS and K5GO acting like ZF5T) and N5DX operating his VA1EET station.

73 Joel W5ZN 

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