2019 CQ 160M Contest CW K5ZD

January 28, 2019 K5ZD writeup

                     CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW - 2019
  
 Call: K5ZD
 Operator(s): K5ZD
 Station: K5ZD
  
 Class: Single Op HP
 QTH: W1
 Operating Time (hrs): 11.7
  
 Summary:
 Total:  QSOs = 1045  State/Prov = 55  Countries = 57  Total Score = 490,672
  
 Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

That was entertaining! Only worked a few hours the first night. Band did not seem good for working DX. When the USA rate slowed down, I hit the sack.

Made a few QSOs at sunrise on Sat morning, but band still did not sound good.

Got back on Sat night around 0015z and things sounded much better. The big gun Europeans were much louder. Had better than expected rate with some DX thrown in so kept operating. Ended up making 700 contacts over the next 8 hours.

Was watching the online scoreboard and that kept me motivated to keep pushing. Especially as those 10 point QSOs accelerated the score.

Band was amazingly quiet both nights. Worked a lot of very very weak Europeans. Fun!

Never heard SD, NE, KH6 or KL7. Missed a number of VE provinces as well. OA4DX was loud, but CQed in my face. That was the best DX heard and missed. 4X2M was the “best” DX worked.

Station:

Elecraft K3 + Alpha 76CA
1/4-wave elevated GP with 6 radials
90′ shunt fed tower with 32 radials

QSOs By Continent:

            160   Total      %
  
     NA     783     783    74.9
     SA       5       5     0.5
     EU     249     249    23.8
     AF       6       6     0.6
     AS       2       2     0.2

Rates:

QSO/Sec+Dx by hour and band
  
  Hour      160    Total     Cumm     Off
  
 D1-1800Z    -      0/0       0/0      60
 D1-1900Z    -      0/0       0/0      60
 D1-2000Z    -      0/0       0/0      60
 D1-0100Z  94/34   94/34     94/34     30
 D1-0200Z 148/12  148/12    242/46  
 D1-0300Z  86/14   86/14    328/60  
 D1-0400Z  48/0    48/0     376/60     24
 D1-0500Z    -      0/0     376/60     60
 D1-0600Z    -      0/0     376/60     60
 D1-0700Z    -      0/0     376/60     60
 D1-0800Z  --+--    0/0     376/60     60
 D1-0900Z    -      0/0     376/60     60
 D1-1000Z    -      0/0     376/60     60
 D1-1100Z  50/3    50/3     426/63     20
 D1-1200Z  50/0    50/0     476/63     15
 D1-1300Z    -      0/0     476/63     60
 D1-1400Z    -      0/0     476/63     60
 D1-1500Z    -      0/0     476/63     60
 D1-1600Z  --+--    0/0     476/63     60
 D1-1700Z    -      0/0     476/63     60
 D1-1800Z    -      0/0     476/63     60
 D1-1900Z    -      0/0     476/63     60
 D1-2000Z    -      0/0     476/63     60
 D1-2100Z    -      0/0     476/63     60
 D1-2200Z   3/0     3/0     479/63     58
 D1-2300Z    -      0/0     479/63     60
 D2-0000Z  77/18   77/18    556/81     14
 D2-0100Z  94/5    94/5     650/86  
 D2-0200Z  68/6    68/6     718/92  
 D2-0300Z 101/8   101/8     819/100 
 D2-0400Z  82/5    82/5     901/105 
 D2-0500Z  51/4    51/4     952/109 
 D2-0600Z  75/2    75/2    1027/111 
 D2-0700Z   1/1     1/1    1028/112    57
 D2-0800Z  --+--    0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-0900Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1000Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1100Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1200Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1300Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1400Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1500Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1600Z  --+--    0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1700Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1800Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-1900Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-2000Z    -      0/0    1028/112    60
 D2-2100Z  17/0    17/0    1045/112    30
  
 Total:  1045/112