[PVRCNC] FW: WPX CW K4CZ SO(A)AB HP

[Barry Baker, K4CZ]

                    CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: K4CZ
Operator(s): K4CZ
Station: K4CZ

Class: SO(A)AB HP
QTH: Durham, NC
Operating Time (hrs): 19.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:   10
   40:  152
   20:  436
   15:   48
   10:    1
------------
Total:  647  Prefixes = 375  Total Score = 568,500

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

I only planned to participate for a few hours but relatively good
propagation
allowed me to reach my initial goal (200 Qs) much faster than expected.  I
reset the goal to 100,000 points and then to 250,000 points and then to 500
Qs
and then to 500,000 points.  Before I knew it, my "few hours" became 19+
hours...but I enjoyed (almost) every minute!

The WPX contests are great for a "little pistol" station like mine as you
can
work some interesting DX yet still be able to spend some time "running"
since
you can work K/VE stations (albeit for only 1 point).  The highlight was
getting called by 7Q7WW (Malawi) during one of my 20m runs.  Unfortunately,
I
was completely befuddled by the callsign when I first head it.  About 3
repeats
later, I added #217 to my DXCC totals.  Later in the contest, while S&Ping,
I
added #218 by working A73A (Qatar). 

During 2007 (my first year operating in run-mode during major CW contests),
my
average run rate was 40-50/hour.  This weekend, my average run rate was
66/hour
and my slowest run was 53/hour.  Almost 40% of my Qs were in runs with 10+
Qs. 
The K/VE callsigns have gotten easier to copy but many DX callsigns are
still a
challenge (e.g. 5P7Y, SE2T, HB0/G0RZJ).  Although I still have a long way to
go,
I'm excited that my CW skills continue to improve.

Thanks for the Qs... especially to all the ops who were patient during fill
requests and/or were willing to QRS when they heard my keyer at 24-28 wpm.

73, Barry K4CZ


Rig:  Kenwood TS-930 w/ Piexx board, Ameritron AL-80B
Antenna:  Force 12 C-4 @ 50' for 40-10m; Marconi-T for 160-80m
Software:  N1MM