Call: W7VJ
Operator(s):  
Station: W7VJ

Added: 30/Nov/2009
Contest: CQ WORLDWIDE DX CONTEST, CW
Class: M/S HP
QTH: Washington
Operating time: 48

Summary: 
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   17     7        9
   80:   96    25       43
   40:  882    37      119
   20:  828    37      120
   15:  122    25       64
   10:   16    11       14
------------------------------
Total: 1961   142      369  
Total Score = 2,628,073
Club: 

Soapbox: 

Conditions are definitely on the
upswing, though one would have had to
wonder if this is true at times during
the contest. On Saturday evening local
time we were well ahead of last year's
pace, only to finish with less than
200K improvement. 
The solar indices
tell the story.  Yet it was amazing to
see 40 and 20 competing for best
bands.  We had a super opening to Asia
on 40 and even 80, and K0PJ made the
most of it in both evenings with help
from N7NM, K7OG, and W7RG.  The EU
opening was not what we would have
hoped for, though was fun working EU
long path on 40.  K7OG had a great run
on 20 Sunday morning local time, but
the window was short.  Managed to snag
9L5A on 10 Sunday morning in what must
have been a 15 minute opening.  Worked
him, scanned up a bit, and by the time
I returned to his fq, no signal. The
African opening on 15 Sunday morning
local was fantastic, and made for some
exceptional multipliers.  Appreciate
the many African expeditions,
including 5R8ZO, and the many others.
Was great to work my BCC friends at
EA8URL, and many others who we work
year after year. 

The conditions on
Sunday were telling as the multipliers
had appeared to be worked out. 
Running was not particularly good, and
in the last two hours or so, there was
virtually nothing for the mult
operator to do, though K7OG picked up
DX1DBT for a mult on 15 during the
last 3 minutes.  The pile up on the
5W0 was awful the moment he was
spotted.  Once the sun set in the east
coast, one call is all it took.  WL7E
picked off many stations and great
mults during the balance of Sunday. 
WL7E had been on our mult tower
tightening down a wind milling mast
following last week’s heavy winds in
the Northwest.  Thankfully,
coax
survived as did the antennas.  Had Joe
not tightened things down, we would
not have had a mult station. 

Two
minor irritants:  Many casual U.S.
operators who do not need a zone
contact but call and call.  I do
appreciate their desire to help "with
a few points" but at times they would
not listen when we asked for the JA
who was also calling. 
They still
ignored our "JA" request. Pile ups
have also become far more aggressive
than I recall as some continue to call
incessantly and one cannot tell who
the DX is working.  Guess it's part of
the contest, yet in the end adversely
impacts everyone....it's a fine line
between being competitive and overly
aggressive at times.

My thanks to all
we contacted, to the many who pull us
through when signals were at near ESP
levels, and to a great team of
contesters who make the station
problems and marginal band conditions
all worthwhile.  Very 73 to all, and
congratulations to the
winners.

Andrew W7VJ