WQ6X Meanders thru another Marconi Memorial Contest

After a 5-mile walk/run in the annual Alameda 4th of July parade (the longest small-town parade
in the USA), I welcomed the opportunity to just "lay out" on the bed in the radio room, resting up for the upcoming Marconi Memorial Contest (MMC).  Somehow, I got the idea that the MMC GiG started at 12:00z (5am) and chided myself for sleeping until 5:51.

After the Hawaiian coffee infusion took effect, it was discovered the start-up time was actually 14:00z (7am) offering plenty of the time to setup the N1MM+ function key macros and validate all of the different analog and DSP filters used to "shape" contest audio.

From the 7am start band propagation SUCKED in the USA (but sucked LESS on the E. Coast).  Looking at the enTwente (Dutch) SDR, bands were FLOODED with stations, which makes sense
in an ARI-sponsored (Italian) contest.  Looking at the 3830 score listings and reading SOAPBOX comments confirmed that 10-meters was DOA and 15-meters not much better.

Hoping for a reprieve on 40-meters in the evening found the band wide open, but very little MMC activity could be heard - Bummer Dewd.  After some sleep, I turned the radio back on to 40-meters
at 13:00z looking for some JA action, finding none to be had.  Switching to 20-meters, as the E. Coast was now in daylight, 3 -QSOs made it to the log.

The only thing REAL positive I can say about this contest is that being the ONLY QRP submission, WQ6X wins the QRP category by default.

DiD YOU work the Marconi Memorial Contest?

Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?

Some ThoTs on Surviving Another Month of Radiosport

Every year I endeavor to engage in a HUGE variety of radiosport contests, with Cw being my overall favorite, RTTY next, and last, but NoT Least, Ssb GiGs.  Summarily, the year begins with the ARRL RTTY RU and North American QSO Party (NAQP) GiGs in January. 

Moving into February, we are presented with the Mexican and WPX RTTY contests, and of course, the 1st state QSO parties of the year, interspersed with the CQ-160 contests.

March brings us MORE state QSO parties, SPRINT contests and BARTG RTTY GiG  Of course,
the WPX Ssb GiG is the climax of a radiosport month building up to it.  Moving into April brings
more QSO parties, some ad-HOC RTTY contests, some European DX contests, and in the middle
of it all, the HAPANESE JIDX Cw contest that NX6T has been winning for many years in a row.

May opens with the storied "Cinco-de-Contest" weekend and ends with the WPX Cw GiG. 
Every year, the San Diego Contest Club (NX6T), endeavors to win the plaque for the New
England QSO Party, something we've gotten into the habit of doing.  In between shifts for NX6T (running remote from Anza) I run WQ6X as a mixed-mode QRP operation from KN6NBT's QTH
in Ramona.  This year marks my 3rd 1st-place win outside of the 7th call area.  I have NEVER encountered a QSO party that was able to report the final results, less that 30 days from the event weekend itself.  "It's all done with smoke and mirrors" (and of course computers).

Littered throughout the rest of May was the CQ-M and the King-of-Spain Dx contests along with
the VOLTA RTTY GiG which turned out to be a DuD this year, largely thanks to horrible Space-WX.  The month of June brings us the All Asian CW GiG and of course Field Day (FD). 
For VHF enthusiasts, there is of course the VHF weekend.  July starts off with the Canada Day
GiG and then the IARU HF championship - a mixed mode 24-hour event - you could almost call
it the "SPRINT" of Dx contests.

August takes us into the NAQP GiGs one more time, several QSO parties, the International Lighthouse weekend and in the middle of it all one of my increasing favorites - the Worked All Europe (WAE) Cw contest.  In September a number of QSO parties are interspersed with the WAE Ssb contest, ending with the CQ W.W. RTTY GiG.  October opens with the California QSO Party (CQP) followed by other state QSO parties and the CQ W.W. Ssb affair.

In November we run my favorite contest pair - The November Sweepstakes (SS).  In between
we can operate the JIDX Ssb contest and the WAE RTTY - an incredibly challenging yet satisfying affair.  December ends the year beginning with the ARRL 160 / 10-meter contests and ends with the Canadian RAC Winter contest.

Do YOU work multiple different kinds of radiosport events throughout the year?

What are YOUR Findings?