Monday, 31 October 2011

CQ WW SSB Contest 2011

Wow!!  What a weekend!!  The conditions for this years CQ WW SSB Contest were outstanding as most of us will know.  This had to have been the best weekend we have had for DX chasing in many, many, years!  The bands were packed - wall to wall with strong signals.

It seemed everybody was having a great time, and what was most surprising was the behaviour on the bands...I didn't hear one piece of rude or obnoxious behaviour like we have heard in previous contests.  Also missing this weekend were the "Band Police", and given the size of some of the huge pileups I heard, that's just amazing.

This contest was the first big test for my new 40m OCF Dipole and boy did it pass with flying colours!  However, as expected it will not tune on 15m, but I certainly feel it way out performs my old 80-40-20 fan dipole by a long shot.  This antenna tunes on 40 - 20 - 17 - 12 - 10.

While I did work stations on 40m and 20m, the vast majority - 90% - of my contacts for the weekend were made on 10m.  It's been a long time since I have heard 10m open like that.  In fact I think my Dad was still alive and operating VE7CVQ when we last had similiar openings.

I worked 58 countries this weekend, a new record for me, and on top of that I managed to put seven new countries in the log book.  Some of the 10m highlights were:  8R1EA in Guyana; C5A in The Gambia; and ZM4T in New Zealand.  However....VA3QV eluded me all weekend!!

Just a phenomenal time on the bands!
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3 comments:

  1. PE4BAS, Bas31 October 2011 at 16:12

    Great story. It was a very enjoyable weekend on the bands and especially 10m. Hope it will stay like that for a long time....73, Bas

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  2. VE9KK 1 November 2011 at 06:20

    Yes the bands are doing great and as for contesting you could not ask for more...well maybe but lets not be greedy. The CQWW CW is coming up at the end of the month and I am hoping the conditions continue into then.

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  3. Anonymous2 November 2011 at 02:28

    Bill... It was a good contest and yes I missed you again... Actually not too many Canadians made it in the log as I spent most of my time searching and pouncing on 10-15 and 20 which was 2 close for skip and 2 far for groundwave for us...

    But I have worked some stations up your way on 40 and 80. Worked VA3WOW with my 817 from the Rideau Canal on 40 when he was doing an ARES exercise a few weeks ago and worked John CAK on the Ontars net on 80m...

    One of these days gotta get you in the log

    73b0b

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