CQ WW DX CW contest 2015

On Thursday before the contest, a fellow HAM helped my to repair the inverted V. The whether was sunny with no wind, so it was nice to work on the roof. We replaced a part of the 300 ohm ribbon, where it was broken and we checked the connections in the top of the Inverted V.

I decided to repair the inverted V, in stead of using the 15 inch cylinder dipole. The dimensions of the Monster cylinder dipole and it's height 4 m above the ground, allow the antenna work on frequencies of 21 MHz and higher. But now I wanted to use not only 21 MHz, 14 MHz and 7 MHz.

It was great. On Saturday I could make a total of 24 QSO's, all with S&P. The inverted V was working very well. Most QSO's were with European stations on 40 m, 20 m and 15 m. Later I made 4 QSO's with North America. In all the QSO's on Saturday I needed the full power of the FT-817, which is 3,6 W on 20 m and 2,7 W on 40 m and 15 m. That I needed "full power", was only a matter of propagation.

On Sunday morning I immediately noticed that the propagation was better. The signals were stronger than on Saturday. After about 10 QSO's with 2.7 W, the signals became stronger. The S-meter went up, so I could make QSO's with 360 mW. In the first QSO with 36 mW the received signal was S9 + 10 dB. This QSO was a DUPE, but I took my change and really enjoyed that OM7M gave a report, so we made the QSO with QRPpp. I very much enjoy this friendly attitude. 

After this QSO, I came on a quiet part of the 20 m band and I made QSO's all over Europe and two QSO's with North America all with just 360 mW. Then I heard a station from Japan. Luckily it was very quiet on the band (20 m) and with the 3th call, the QSO was made with 3.6 W. I did not dare to go lower. 

The next 30 QSO were made all over Europe, with 360 mW, except when I needed 3,6 W. When the signals incidentally went up to S9 + 10 dB, it was possible to reduce to 36 mW.

It was great. I very much enjoyed to work with the lowest possible power from QSO to QSO on Sunday.

/QRP

I always use QRP, which is 5 watts or less in CW.  But I never use the tag /QRP.
In contest QSO's in CW, I rather send my call a second time in stead of /QRP.
In the BSCI contest I made a QSO with a station that was not in the contest.
I met a station from Guensey (GU) which is rather rare.

The signal was very strong, so I immediately reduced my power to 50 mW.
The FT-817 was set to 500 mW and I switched in the 10 dB attenuator.
The 10 dB attenuator reduces the power with a factor 10.
So my power was 500 mW diveded by 10 = 50 mW.
I received the usual 599 and I was happy to log MU0RGU.

But when I looked again at the S-meter after the QSO, I was surprised by the signal strenght.
Then I realized that I could have made the QSO with 5 mW.
In a contest it's (almost) impossible to make a second QSO (dupe).
But I decided to give it a try, because this was no contest QSO.
I switched in the 20 dB attenuator and gave my call PA1B/QRP, now using the tag /QRP,
now with just 5 mW.
To increase my luck, I decided to use the tag /QRP for a second QSO.
I thought that if I did not use the /QRP, I could not make the dupe, but MU0GRU came back for me
and I could make the second QSO, now with 5 mW. hi
Thanks to the friendly operator of MU0RGU.

I hope to receive a QSL. Until now I received a card for a QSO with 500 mW from Guensey.

1000 MPW QSO's in the WAG-contest

On saturday, I started in the 20 m band and made 2 QSO with 180 mW and 36 mW.
The signals on 20 m were strong.
On sunday morning I started early on 80 m and later went to 40 m. On these bands I made a total of 26 QSO's all with 2.7 W. Signals were not so strong.

Then I went to 20 m. The signals were very strong. I started with 360 mW and reduced the power whenever possible. In a few hours I made another 16 QSO's, from 360 mW down to 3.6 mW, with the FT-817 and attenuators of 10 dB or 20 dB. I was suprised by the short skip distance.

In the next picture I plotted the location of the worked stations. You can follow the QSO sequence. Numbers 1 to 18. QSO 1 and 2 were made on saturday and QSO 3 to 18 were made on sunday.

Most of the worked stations are concentrated in 4 areas near large cities in the south and the east of the country. München (Munich), Dresden, Cottbus and Berlin. With a shortest distance of 329 miles.

On sunday I started with 360 mW in QSO #3. I don't count this QSO for a 1000 Miles per Watt QSO, with just 1001 MPW. It is just to close to the edge.
From QSO # 3 on I could reduce the power from 360 mW dowm to 3.6 mW, almost in a staight line. So nearly all QSO's on 20 meter gave more than 1000 MPW.

In this plot I give the QSO number and the power of the QSO for the QSO's around the city of München (Munich). QSO #10 and #16 were made with the same station, DL1A. QSO # 16 is a Dupe that was made with just a lower power.

More than 1000 MPW eQSL's from the CQ MM DX contest.

Using the lowest possible power in a contest QSO is not so difficult as it seems. In the CQ MM DX contest I was suprised by the excellent propagation, which made it possible to work with stations in South America and North America with just 1 W or 2.5 W.

2 Way QRP QSO with Brasil

After 8 QSO's with 1 W and 2.5 W, I heard PY2WC calling CQ, so I tried 2.5 W.
I fell off my chair when Waldir answered: SAQ, which means that he was using QRP and this was a 2 way QRP QSO. It was only after a few QSO's, also with 2.5 W, I realised that I could have made the QSO with a lower power.
More than an hour later I heard Waldir again and made a second QSO, but now with 1 W (980 mW). Thank you Waldir for a new DXCC in QRPp, thus less than 1000 mW.

Tip: Just make a second contest QSO, with a lower power if you can.
My most memorable very low power QSO with 0.85 mW with RT6A is a Dupe. hi

Confirmed 
"More than 1000 MPW" QSO's

This list shows only the 1000 MPW QSO that are confirmed via eQSL.
I actually made many more 1000 MPW QSO's in the CQ MM DX.

After I receive an eQSL, I determine the distance using the QTH Locator and the Miles per Watt.
I place the 1000 MPW info in the comment field of the return eQSL.
E.g. 2.5 W and 6062 miles to GG66un gives 2425 miles/watt - 73, Bert

Power Overview

Most QSO's were made on 21 MHz.
Although I made many DX QSO's 34% of the QSO's were made with QRPp.
And 70% with more than 1000 MPW.

The Soapbox:

In total I made 56 QSO's in the CQ MM DX contest. I worked SA, NA EU and SA. I had great fun.
My RIG is a FT-817 and the antenne is an Inverted Vee.
I always use QRP, but never a fixed power of 5 watts.

Thanks to all the excellent operators that made this contest QSO's possible.