#cqww #wpx SSB contest 2019 review

Event: CQWW WPX SSB 2019
Section:  Single Operator Low Power  All Band SSB
Logger: N1MM+ newest version
Station: Icom IC-706 MK2G 100W
Antenna 1: Multiband Inverted-V 2x20m ladderline fed, apex @12m agl
Antenna 2: Butternut HF5B @14m agl
Antenna 3: Shuntfed tower (unipole fed with CG3000 autotuner)

Well the WPX SSB contest this year was one with a lot of frustration. These kind of contests are very good for antenna testing but I had the idea the HF5B was not working that well compared to my previous years used multiband vertical. The difference between my inverted-V, which works best on low bands, and the HF5B which works best on high bands was big. Although in the end it might be a propagation issue. I know 20m is not my best band but most of the DX could be worked there and of course because of that stayed on this band too long trying to work stations that were all real 5/9 but didn't hear me at all. Actually the station that gave me most frustration was 5T5PA (sorry Johannes!) a dutch operator from Mauritania, he was real 5/9 both on saturday as sunday evening on 20m. But no matter how many times I called I couldn't get my signal to him. Especially when you hear other dutch operators work him with ease the frustration level becomes very high. Is it the antenna? 100W not enough? Propagation not reciproke? We'll never know. Luckely I worked 5T5PA on 80m FT8 very early monday morning after he was spotted there and this took away some of the frustration after all.

Indication of DXCC worked

I did hear nice DX like V85RH (Brunei) and some others but I was unable to get my signal to real DX stations although I worked some nice DX after all. Why not concentrate on 80m and 40m then? Oh yes, I did work most of the stations on those bands and calling there is a lot of difference compared to 20m. I never had to call 10 times to get my signal heard or not heard in the end. 80m/40m is my money band, only one call whatever the pile-up is and running there was a trill. I was even called by stations from China on 40m, not something you experience every day! On 40m at the end of the contest I experienced something odd, something I never ever experienced before. I was calling E77C who was running on 40m, after we made the QSO he told me he did quit and if I would like I could take over the frequency to continue running! Wow, this is really friendly, thanks Zeljko! I did give my thanks and took over the frequency to continue and it gave me some nice stations in the log after all. Have you ever experienced such a friendly operator?

I operated almost 24 hours of the 48 availabe according to the log analyzer. I did stop early, my goal was 700 QSOs and I did manage to make them. I did make a large run on 80m to get to those 700, actually I was anticipating on that. You can see a "rate" of 68 QSO/h at 22 UTC sunday. Another pile up occured at midnight the day before with 84/h. It gives a trill when working pile-ups and stations keep coming to your signal. The 2x20m inverted-V does very well on 80m of course and on sunday morning I received many USA/Canadian stations with real 5/9 signals on that band. The 20m band however was a constant struggle. 10m didn't open here but 15m did for a while on saturday evening with south america and sunday afternoon with a few east european stations. The HF5B does well on 15m, as soon as a signal is received I can most times work it without any problems.

I worked 77 DXCC, I think that is not bad considering the propagation and my not so well working antenna on 20m. So unfortunate I could not work some DXCC that could be worked last year. KL7RA (Alaska) was one of them. I heard him several times but again my signal didn't travel good enough to his station although he was at least 5/5 peak here on 20m. I'm shure this wouldn't be a problem if still had my multiband vertical up.

So what interesting DX was worked on which band?

15M: PR7AA (Brazil), D4C (Cape Verde)

20M: UP2L (Kazakhstan), JH4UYB (Japan), D4C (Cape Verde), A42K (Oman), VE3EJ (Canada), PJ4K (Bonaire), K1LZ (USA), PZ5RA (Surinam), HZ1HZ (Saudi Arabia), A61ZX (UAE), PR7AA (Brazil), ZP5AA (Paraquay), LU5FB (Argentina), VP5V (Turks&Caicos isl.), WP4X (Puerto Rico), 9K2HN (Kuwait), RW0A (As. Russia), ZS6S (RSA), V51WW (Namibia), 6W1SU (Senegal), CE3CT (Chile), P40L (Aruba), BD7DT (China)

40M: WA1Z (USA), TI7W (Costa Rica), PJ4K (Bonaire), P40L (Aruba), D4C (Cape Verde), UN5GM (Kazakhstan), A41NN (Oman), JH4UYB (Japan), HZ1TT (Saudi Arabia), VE9CB (Canada), BI8FZA (China)

80M: K4XL (USA), VA2EW (Canada), WP4X (Puerto Rico), P40L (Aruba), 4Z5UN (Israel), D4C (Cape Verde), UA9MA (As. Russia), VP5P (Turks&Caicos isl.), PJ4R (Bonaire)

160M: VY2ZM (Canada)