WQ6X Wangles a Weird Cinco-de-Contest

 

 

 

 

 

This year's Cinco-de-Contest was WEIRD from the beginning.  This weekend opens with the
ARI (Italian) DX Contest.  Years back, N6KI and WQ6X took 1st-place in that event.  Since then, NX6T's focus has been on the 4 QSO Parties that accompany the ARI GiG.

1. [X] - 7QP
2. [X] - DEQP
3. [X] - INQP
4. [X] - NEWQP

Our main goal was to take 1st-place in the New England QSO Party and a 2nd in the 7QP GiG
(the other two events take care of themselves).  As it turns out, for 2022 we made an inverse win:
1st-Place for 7QP and 2nd-Place for NEQP.  When we factor in the HORRIBLE propagation conditions, it is a miracle we accomplished what we did.

In 2016, by accident, WQ6X managed to win the Single-OP (outside of W7) plaque; I guess the competition was (to use a phrase) "asleep at
the wheel".  For the 2022 event weekend, my
goal was to again dual-OP the major events,
as I did last year.  

NX6T's goal was to win another New England QSO Party plaque with a 2ndary goal being the 7QP GiG.  We ran frequencies by calling:
"CQ QP NX6T NX6T/CA".  

Using the N1MM+ software allows logging all
4 QSO parties to one CABRILLO file.  That same file can be submitted for each contest and the LCR software can sort it all out.  

Additionally, there exists a freebie program
that can parse the log file and separate out the individual contest QSOs for each of the 4 events.  Once these files are created, you should manually inspect each created file insuring that it accurately reflects the operation you conducted for that contest.

What I dislike about using one log for all contests is being unable to ascertain individual contest scores during the contest weekend.  When running as WQ6X, I purposely create 4 separate contest entries for n1MM+, switching between the 4 logs as needed.  While a bit tricky, it allows me to post each score via the 3830 Scores website with having to massage the files later.

Band conditions was the determining factor in our win-placement.  Being on the East coast, NJ4P
had a perfect North-South pipeline to New England on 10-meters (as well as 15m).  On the Left-coast, we were unable to leverage a 10-meter opening (except to South America); the MUF barely made it to 20-mhz for us.  NJ4P took 1st-place for NEQP, while NX6T took 1st-place for 7QP.

We are certainly, finally, in the throes of Solar Cycle 25; the lowest of the monthly-low was only down to 115 - after the weekend, the SFI jumped to 133.   In general, as the solar cycle continues to peak, we get more intense/frequent storms, that dissipate quickly.  The WPX Cw GiG is coming up at month end.  Let's keep our attention on what we can expect by then.

DiD YOU play in the Cinco-de-Contest weekend?

How DiD propagation work out at your end of the contest spectrum?