CQ WW CW contest : Ode to the sun

Oh dear Sun, you gave us so many solar flux this weekend, that all my objectives became true !!
Thank you my dear...


CQ-WW-CW contest 2013, something to never forget.

I must admit : the last months I was so busy with running contests to achieve every week a better position in a local competition. 
This took so many hours and hamradio became a bit ... 2nd place.

I wasn't motivated for the contest.  The fieldday preparation style of the last years, the fatigue during the nights, the effort on Monday morning to put everything back on place... pff not this year. 
I decided to do a single band game.

It was rather difficult :
10 m  : I need zone 23 confirmed for WAZ and 3 States for WAS, but this is the weakest band on a 3 el steppir (in fact 4 elements are needed on a 5 m boom in stead of 3 elements.  There are some measurements available on the internet)
15 m : perfect antenna, but I have 200 DXCC, WAS and WAZ
20 m : can be done in years where sunspot is less.   200 DXCC  & WAZ.  48/50 WAS
40 m : I really need to pick up my 2 el yagi.  The antenna is still at ON7SU...  I need my new car arriving one of the comings days.
80 m : no reception antenna
160 m : ok, I only have 44 confirmed countries, but is 2013 the ideal year for 160m, and no reception antenna ?

Anyway - in contradiction with the opinion of my friend ON5ZO - for me, a contest is always an aid to fill in DX award needs.  DXCC/WAS/WAZ first, contest result second.

So I decided to go for 10m and take all needed time to work JT (zone 23).   Second goal : work KH6
Third goal : go from 194 cfd countries to at least 200...


I know that with the yagi at 24m, it's difficult to work local countries.  So I have put the Ultrabeam vertical with 2 elevated verticals in the garden to quickly change the angle.
This was a disaster.  Not one occasion where the vertical performed better than the yagi.  Good to know !


I'm also interested in the record database of CQWW.  For 10m SO-A, ON4IA is currently the record holder, with ON4WW and OT4A on place 2 & 3.  A nice group of contest stations.

Conditions were superb.  I have never expected this.  Some minor point : Japan was not super (only 17 contact), and also seen after the contest : zone 19.  I have no explanation for it, but I didn't work zone 19, which is on the same direction of Japan.  Zone 37 is also missing, but that's not suprising.  All 38 other zones were contacted.  USA was outstanding with 734 QSO's.
Let's hope that I made a contact with Montana and South Dakota.

Worked : 4 JT stations.  I hope at least one will finally confirm zone 23 !
KH6 on Sunday morning.  Super !
And I'm sure I made contacts with at least 6 new countries.

RI1ANP contacted me spontaneously from Antartica (why is N1MM not giving a multiplier for the country ?).  So did a V31, FS, C5, T6, KL7 and finally OY.  Very happy to have them as a multiplier.

1690 QSO's later, with a claimed score of 668.325 points, I dare to claim a new Belgian record.  It will be even a high score in zone 14.  Because of the good conditions and clear signals, I foresee a low amount of penalties.

137 countries in one weekend with a 3 element yagi.  Super contest !

I also remarked  a relative sportive attitude.  Often (and this is new for me) I was able to play with the 500 Hz in stead of the normal 250 Hz.  And QRM/lid operation/... wasn't too high this year.



Thank you all for your QSO !

I will foresee a special QSL card for this contest...