WQ6X Works a 7.5 Contest Weekend

The 2nd weekend in April should have been an 8-contest affair except that listening around the bands throughout the weekend resulted in no GC-Cup activity heard, altho like last weekend, most of this GiG's activity was happening in Europe (the other side of dirtball earth).  

On the North American side of the globe, things were a bit mixed.  In addition to JIDX (more-or-less
at the bottom of each band) and the state QSO parties (more-or-less middle of each band), above them are the ever-present SKCC Weekend Sprintathon and WES Cw activities; and, above them,
the digital and RTTY sub-bands.

To UP the entered contest entry count on the WQ6X page of the 3830-Scores website,
WQ6X engaged in the following radiosport events:

• [X] - Dual-OP the JIDX contest
• [X] - GAQP - Georgia QSO Party
• [X] - NDQP - North Dakota QSO Party
• [X] - NEQP - Nebraska QSO Party
• [X] - NMQP - New Mexico QSO Party
• [X] - IG-RY RTTY Contest
• [X] - The Yuri Gagarin Contest

The JIDX GiG was wrapped around all of the above-mentioned radiosport events.  My achieved-goal was dual-OP'ing the JIDX event, which began @07:00z (midnight in California).  My night shift did Not begin until 09:00z, giving me time for sleep and making a few "JA" QSOs as WQ6X before remoting in to NX6T's multi-Single operation @WA6TQT's QTH in Anza (San Bernardino County).  On Sunday, while N6KI submitted our 5-operator log, WQ6X submitted a 9-QSO single-OP single-band (40-meter) entry; but then, I am getting ahead of things here.

In JIDX contests, during the 2am to 6am operating periods, most of the operating time is spent on
40-meters waiting for 80-meters to eventually open up towards Japan.  On Sunday, when I took over at 3am (10:00z), N6KI hard largely worked everyone on 40 meters and suggested I switch over to
80-meters once the caffeine kicks-in; and again, I'm getting ahead of things.

Saturday afternoon (after playing in the RTTY and all 4 QSO parties), I was assigned to the "Mult" station (STN-1) from 1pm to 3pm, while K7ENA ran 20-meters on STN-2.  At 3pm I took over STN-2 just in time for a wonderful 15-meter opening; surprising considering the HORRIBLE Space-WX. 
15 minutes before my 5pm shift ending, my WIN-7 computer (in Concord) developed a process-loop, requiring a complete reboot as the only way out; missing out on what was left of a consistent pile up.  

Luckily, my relief operator managed to more-or-less re-gain the momentum; the Japanese stations were lining up to get their 2-points and hand us [hopefully] a new prefecture.  In the JIDX contest
we receive multiplier credit for prefectures on each band, offering upwards of 300 multipliers in
just 30 hours.

At 6:30pm (01:30z) I remoted back in to the STN-2 operating position in time for 15-meters to
wind down and 20-meters to advance from mult-status to running a full-on frequency while STN-1 continued to hunt for leftover multipliers on 15 (unfortunately, 10-meters never came thru; for either NX6T -or- WQ6X).  

By the time the JIDX run shift was over, the NDQP and NMQP GiGs were ancient history. 
GAQP still had one hour left for the day so I ended the evening's operations searching for GA stations, before a rest period, knowing that Sunday offers us one more GO in the NEQP and GAQP QSO Parties.  After sleep and a refreshing Cherry Pepsi, I took over STN-2 at 3am.  Those 3 hours seem to WHIZ by FAST.  80-meters cooperated with me adding nearly 75 JA QSOs to the 80-meter log alone.

Virtually EVERY early morning 40-meter shift I have some sort of errant QRM to deal with. 
Calling CQ on 7017.17 I immediately encountered Indonesian Ssb QRM that was NoT there
before I called CQ.  Saturday morning for about 15 minutes, we encountered some sort of PULSE radar in the vicinity of 40-meters.  Finally, out of frustration, I quickly tuned the band looking for the center frequency of the radar signal; at which time it immediately ceased.  Coincidence?  We'll never REALLY know, will we?

When the weekend was all over, a look at the 3830 Scores page for this contest brings BOTH NX6T and WQ6X GooD News.

To reiterate something I have said summarily, radiosport activities keep us on the air every weekend while making station improvements throughout the intervening weeks.  While we may not be able to change what is happening 1/2 a world away, we can at LEAST "listen in", receiving more of the REAL truth about what is REALLY going on, while the radio OPs there know that we ARE listening, ready to assist whenever we can.

Participating in different-mode events is NoT only more FUN, it keeps me multi-mode prepared, should the need arise.

What about YOU?  DiD YOU participate in the 8-contest weekend?

What events did your operations favor?

Is WQ6X or NX6T in YOUR LoG?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This JUST in - as of 9/2/2022 NX6T took 1ST-Place for Multi-Single.