Above: The ZL6QH team; back row - ZL2AMI, ZL1TM, ZL2BSJ, ZL2AGY, HA3LN and XYL Kriszta; front row - W2ID, ZL1CT/GM3WOJ and ZL1AZE
Band QSOs
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160: 26
80: 283
40: 1198
20: 1118
15: 298
10: 32
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Total: 2955 Prefixes = 846 Total Score = 10,862,640
Operating Time (hrs): 48
Operators: HA3LN W2ID ZL1AZE ZL1CT ZL1TM ZL2AGY ZL2BSJ
Support Crew: Kriszta (XYL of HA3LN), ZL2AMI (taxi and guide services) ansd ZL2AOV (computer support)
Comments:
A tough contest with poor condx for us. Our raw Multi-Multi score of 10.8 million is 10% lower than last year's Multi-Two, and much lower than our OC record of 16 million.The under-performing bands were 10M, 15M and 160M with frustrating one-way propagation (RX only) on several bands.
Rufz-XP meister Chris ZL1CT/GM3WOJ organised a computer-simulated QRQ contest to provide a break from the 'raging pile-ups'. Visiting ops Csaba HA3LN and John W2ID showed how it was done, leaving all other competitors in the dust as HA3LN took line honours.
The weekend was a reasonably social event at ZL6QH. The kitchen table carried enough groceries to feed an orphanage. Csaba HA3LN and YL Kriszta introduced us to HA-made Unicum (40 % alcohol) which was found to mix well with coffee and kept the nightshift awake. Chris ZL1CT admitted to having a no-bread detox diet imposed on him. Chris's callsign was duly changed to ZL-One-Cold-Turkey.
Some of the ZL6QH ops feltt that the WPX discourages activity on the more difficult bands such as 160 and 10 m. Perhaps prefixes should count on a 'by band' basis. Alternatively, the QSO weighting could be increased for 160/10 and reduced for 20 m.
Brian ZL1AZE and Chris ZL1CT had fun with the computers and the networking. At times, half the crew was racing around fixing computers and ZL6QH went for much of the contest without DX spots. On the sunny side: the antenna farm was in full working order, the WX cooperated and there were no equipment problems. ZL6QH had four stations active: FT1000MP, FT1000-MkV-Field, TS570 (80M) and IC725 (160M/10M), all with amplifiers.
The antennas we used were: Vee Beams (300 m legs) to USA, JA/EU (x2), EU LP and USA LP. In addition: 5 element monoband yagis for 20M (EU LP and USA), 5 element yagis for 15M (JA/EU and USA) and 6 element yagis for 10M (JA/EU and USA). For 80M we used a full-size GP with elevated radials, for 160M half-wave slopers for JA/EU and USA. For all other bands: a terminated, reversible Rhombic with 100 m sides.
The existing antennas are due to be removed once the wind farm takes shape, and the 2007 WPX CW is possibly the last major contest from ZL6QH for a while. However we do hope to be back with a different set-up.
Above: Andrei ZL1TM at the 10M postion - desparately looking for some QSOs
Above: John W2ID on duty at the 20M position.
Posted by ZL2AOH on May 29, 2007