24 Oct 2012

CQWW DX SSB contest this weekend

Although not a serious HF contester - I have never submitted a log -  I do enjoy a fling in the CQWW DX SSB contest at the end of October each year, usually on 28MHz.

The most I can run is 5W pep but, if conditions hold up, there should be little problem in working stacks of US and Canadian stations as well as loads of others worldwide.  This year I have a speech processor which appears to make a good 1-2 S-points difference and makes working DX much easier.

Especially towards the end of the contest there are plenty of big contest stations looking for new contacts. If you want to work some good DX plus new US states and Canadian provinces, then this coming weekend will be your best chance.  In my experience running QRP SSB is no barrier at all to working LOTS of DX in this contest.

Some people love contests on HF and VHF and others hate them. Personally, I am happy to enjoy the DX opportunities they provide and tolerate the heavy band usage they bring, albeit for 48 hours in the case of the CQWW.
CQ zones map
Exchange is report and CQ zone. In the UK we are zone 14, so a typical report would be "5914"

1 comment:

Paul Stam PAØK said...

Now I hope the predicted black outs will not spoil the party this weekend. Keep my fingers crossed. 73 Paul