Thursday, May 28, 2026

BLASTS from the Past: The WPX Weird Prefix Cw Contest - Part 2

In preparation for the upcoming 2o26 WPX CW contest, I realized that the last WPX Blast from the
Past write-up was written up in MaY 2o20 just before that Cw event.  ([CLICK HERE] to read that.)
Since 2o20, here are the WPX Cw events I spent time with, all of them dual-OP.

  • [X] - 2o20 - WQ6X Dual-OPs another WPX Cw Contest
    For the 2o20 WPX Contest, this was NX6T's last WPX run from the Fallbrook location.
    The issue with my remote runs from Concord, was the usual bevy of internet disruptions which consistently disrupt the operations from W7AYT's QTH.  Because most of my operating time was with NX6T, WQ6X submitted a Single Band 40-meter log, taking
    a 2nd place for W6 in doing so.

  • [X] - 2o21 - WQ6X Wings another Weird dual-OP in CQ WPX Contest
    For the 2o21 WPX Contest, having relocated the station operation to WA6TQT's 
    Anza QTH, there were numerous benefits and a number of new nuances we got to get used to all over again.  It would seem that we were at the bottom of solar cycle 24 or the start of solar cycle 25.  Calling CQ on 10-meters produced dozens of RBN spots and yet no live operator takers - ya' can't blame THAT on the COVID situation.  Despite those conditions, NX6T managed a 1st-place for W6.

  • [X] - 2o22 - WQ6X Wangles a WEIRD Weird Prefix Contest
    For the 2o22 WPX Contest, a shortage of operators found me spending most of the
    operating time running as NX6T.  Doing so we we managed another 1st-place for W6
    and WQ6X took 11th place, enough to say that I was there.  For this contest, greyline conditions were AWEsome, enough to reminds us of the importance of pointing our antennas along the grey line.

  • [X] - 2o23 - WQ6X Stumbles-around a Weirdly-Weird Weird Prefix WeeKend
    For the 2o23 WPX Contest, this was my 1st time running QRP in this Cw
    contest.  As it turns out, WQ6X managed a 2nd-place for W6 in the QRP category.
    NX6T managed yet another 1st-place for W6.  With a moderate solar flux index (SFI),
    at least we had reasonable solar conditions without too much solar noise nonsense.

  • [X] - 2o24 - WQ6X Survives another QRM-ridden WPX CW Contest
    For the 2o24 WPX Contest, the WA6TQT station was already committed
    for the contest.  As a result, N6KI ran his usual SOAB HP operation from
    San Diego and WQ6X ran the WPX GiG QRP from Ramona for a second time.   
    The BiG issue was RADAR QRM on 40-meters, as well as Indonesian Ssb QRM
    below 7.050 around 10:00z on both mornings.  Beam headings pinpoint the direction
    of the RADAR to be from Northeast Asia (UA0, or?).  As it turns out, WQ6X took 1st-place for QRP in the W6 call area - not bad for whut I had to work with.

  • [X] - 2o25 - WQ6X Wangles another Weird WEIRD Prefix Contest

    For the 2o25 WPX Contest, we had a markedly improved solar flux which while nice helped us very little when it came to 10-meters.  For both WQ6X and NX6T, 15-meters
    was THE band, at least in the daytime at any rate.  When it was all over, WQ6X took
    another QRP 2nd-place and of course NX6T dominated the W6 call area for another
    1st-place.
For 2o26, we are riding on a largely downward solar flux spiral as cycle continues its inevitable decline.

Have YOU been playing around in the CQ WPX (Weird Prefix) contest over the years?

Is WQ6X or NX6T in any of your logs?

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