WQ6X runs a Quicky Yet Quirkey WAE Contest

View from the U S S  H o r n e t  @ Alameda Point

As far as radiosport challenges go, the ARRL November Sweepstakes (SS) and the DARC Worked All Europe (WAE) contests, present a unique form of complexity.  Sweepstakes requires us to send
6 (six) pieces of information in order for a contact to be considered valid. 

In WAE, the initial exchange is a no-brainer; just 599 + Serial Number.  However, that's only half
of the point score.  To get 2-points for every QSO, it must be referenced in a QTC message to a European station.  Due to frequent internet dropouts during last year's WAE Cw contest I did not
send any QTC's as my dropouts would have frustrated the European OPs on the other end;
so instead I sent "no QTC", which was in a way just as frustrating for them. 
([CLICK HERE] to read about that.)

Operating time for this weekend had to be split up into segments.  After Europe disappeared on
40 meters I got some needed sleep in time for a few morning 20-m QSOs before heading over
to the USS Hornet (an aircraft carrier docked at Alameda Point).  My Toastmaster's Club (the Alameda Tongue Twisters) was running a table at the job fair event held on the ship. 
Unfortunately, the ham shack for the amateur station was not open this weekend,
so I missed out on listening to WAE from aboard ship.



At 23:00z turning the radio to 14014.14 (my favorite 20-meter Cw Frequency)  found a FRENZY
of Cw signals, but WHERE were the Europeans?  For we Southwest West Coasters there was a seemingly impenetrable "Wall" of W8/W9/W2/W1 stations to the North-East of Fallbrook; one of the
biggest barriers to hearing the 100-w (and less) EU stations.  This is something not even the best DSP filter can eliminate; even the MFJ-1026 and ANC-4 noise cancellers can't touch that "artifact".

Amazingly, one of the best solutions to this "problem", was none other than parking WQ6X's callsign on a run frequency, hoping that they eventually find me; they did, but so did the horrible QRN levels, making 40-meter QSOs difficult (at best) and 80-meters even more impossible.

As I mentioned earlier, sending QTC messages can result in 2X the basic QSO score, making it well worth learning how to do.

From my experience,
the N1MM+ approach
to sending QTC messages
is quite efficient; the only complaint being my inability to send a single field from a given line of data and the non-working Ctrl-Z (it had to be selected from the menu)

Otherwise, it was simply clicking on one "Snd" message after the other. 
The [Exit] button allows "bailing out" at any time.


For reasons of keeping the shack temperature cool at all times, the decision was made to run the Elecraft K3 into an Expert 1.5K amp dialed back to 550 watts.  The additional heat created by running 1,300 watts was not worth attempting a mere 4-db (I.e. barely noticeable) increase in signal.  As it turns out, the NX6T/WQ6X call is often easily heard in Europe; their frustration is that we can't hear them back.  No amount of power increase fixes that; taking the noise level from S-8 down to S-3 is what we need.



While it was easy to find Europe (just point the Yagi's to 30-degrees), 38-degrees is where
a major source of noise comes from, even tho we are 700 feet above the probable source.

One of the biggest frustrations this year came from non other than Israel,  During greyline periods,
it is not surprising to hear 4X4 and 4Z4 stations; unfortunately, when those stations count (such as during the All Asia GiG), they can't be found.  This weekend they were all over the place, along with RX9 & UA0, "taunting me", yet unworkable for EU contest credit - story of my life. 

As I mentioned earlier, calling CQ was actually a major solution to the QRM problem. 
Looking back, it would seem that once I settled in on a likeable run frequency, a vortex opened
up around that frequency, not only giving plenty of QRM-free room, but also a quiet location to
send QTC messages without any problems.

During the final two hours of the WAE GiG, I could tell we were nearing the end (even without looking at the clock) by the number of nearly-frantic "QTC?" requests coming in as WQ6X called CQ.

Of course, near the end of a WAE GiG, the number
of QTC's remaining to be sent represents a dwindling commodity. 

DJ5MW was the recipient of my final 2 messages before WQ6X finally wrapped things up.
While I was disappointed by the lack of hearable European stations, it could well be said that WQ6X worked every station that was heard.

Even more amazing is how many pileups this West coast station "busted", out-signaling many stations
from the Northeast wall.


Did YOU work the WAE Cw contest?

Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?