K3PP 1998 CQ WW WPX Phone Contest



                  CQ WORLD WIDE PREFIX CONTEST -- 1998
 

      Call: K3PP                     Country:  United States
      Mode: SSB                      Category: Single Operator Low Power

      BAND     QSO   QSO PTS  PTS/Q PREFIXES
      160        3        8   2.7        2
       80        9       26   2.9        4
       40       25      138   5.5       15
       20      159      401   2.5      117
       15      151      362   2.4      105
       10       70      184   2.6       45
     --------------------------------------
     Totals    417     1119   2.7      288  =   322,272

     Official  417     1119   2.7      288  =   322,272
     Certificate winner!
     Number 20 out of 112 Entries Single-op Low Power All Band USA

     Official scores published in the March 1999 issue of CQ Magazine



Comments
The CQ WPX contest is a lot of fun because there is a lot of international activity and the unique multiplier system requires a special strategy.  It's grueling to attempt the full 30 allowed hours for a single operator.  I had to take some breaks this year and it shows in the score, but I will be back next year, hopefully for a stronger effort.

I entered my log into an Excel spreadsheet, ran some calculations and produced an interesting graph of my progress over the contest period.  This kind of data will be a useful study for my next WPX contest. Click on the image for a larger version.

The graph shows the growth in QSOs, Mults, and Score over time.  It also shows the rate for the past 10 QSOs at each point and the band I was on at the time.  It's easy to see how my numerous off periods hurt my score.  You can also see how the decent runs at the end produced a lot of QSOs and multipliers.  That's why the score shot up so rapidly.  The right strategy can net some incredible score in the WPX contests.

Thanks to everyone for the QSOs!



My equipment for the 1998 CQWW WPX Phone Contest:

 Transceiver 1:    Icom IC-775DSP    for most of my QSOs
 Transceiver 2:    Icom IC-736       for other QSOs

 Gateway 2000 486 33 MHz Computer for logging, running CT Version 9.37
 It's an old, clunky computer now, but it does the job for logging!

  160m antenna:    1/2 sloper
   80m antenna:    Inverted-L
   40m antenna:    Dipole at 20 feet (I need better)
   20m antenna:    Force 12 EF-420 4 el monobander at 68 feet
   15m antenna:    Force 12 EF-415 4 el monobander at 76 feet
   10m antenna:    Force 12 EF-410 4 el monobander at 84 feet
 Other antenna:    Butternut HF9V-X Multiband HF/6m vertical

 Automated HF antenna switching using Top-Ten Devices band decoder
 and automatic antenna switch



Last Updated on 16-Feb-1999
By Glenn D. O'Donnell, K3PP
Email: [email protected]