CQWW SSB CONTEST 2014

October 26, 2014 - The CQWW SSB 2014 "snuck-up" on me this year.  I was focused on other items and was "taken" by surprise. Rather than participating as a contestant, I spent time searching for "new" DXCC Entities. It worked: I contacted four new Entities this weekend.

My primary station is modest when compared with stations used by those considered "serious" DX'ers or contesters.  A "HEX" beam (6M-20M) is suspended from a tree branch in the back yard and this antenna is manually rotated. I was on 40/80M as sunrise approached the east coast, and then I would spend the remainder of daytime and evening hours searching for contacts on 20M, 15M and 10M.

Four radio amateur contacts deserve special emphasis: MOZAMBIQUE (181 C9), PALAU (22 T8), SEYCHELLES (379 S7) and WESTERN SAHARA (302 S0) are my first-ever DXCC QSO's with each Entity. Here are pictures of the automated Tweets via ClubLog:

I also completed (yet another) contact with a radio amateur located in CQ Zone 23. I've done this before, yet, Zone 23 remains the only CQ Zone from which I've not yet received an electronic confirmation (LOTW). Fortunately, Tom [JV5A MONGOLIA (363 JT)] was active on several bands. It took several hours and I was finally able to completed a contact with him on 20M SSB. The CQ "Worked All Zone" award may finally arrive in 2015!

Here are some other noteworthy accomplishments:

• While still not "officially" recognized by the UN, and therefore not granted status as an independent DXCC Entity, I was pleased to complete a successful contact with an operator in the REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO (Z61). 
• DODECANESE (45 SV5), TAJIKISTAN (262 E), THAILAND (387 HS), JAPAN (339 JA), CHINA (318 BA), LIECHTENSTEIN (251 HB0), MARIANA ISLANDS (166 KH0) and QATAR (376 A7) were other pleasant "surprises." 
• I also successfully contacted two radio amateurs on ASCENSION ISLAND (205 ZD8) who I hope will finally confirm this DXCC Entity via LOTW.

The radio waves were "buzzing" with radio amateur station from Oceania (South Pacific) and Asia. New contacts for "band/mode" DXCC "credits" were added. These rare contacts include:

• LORD HOWE ISLAND (147 VK9L) 
• MARIANA ISLANDS (166 KH0)
• MARQUESAS ISLANDS (509 FO/M, TX7)
• SOUTH COOK IS. (234 E5/S)
• WALLIS & FUTUNA ISLANDS 298 FW 

At times, I was able to have a "solid copy" on radio amateurs in LAOS, MOZAMBIQUE and SEYCHELLES -- all would have been desirable and "new-to-me" DXCC Entities. Despite valiant efforts, I just wasn't able to contact several other "wanted" stations (MALAYSIA, VIETNAM, SOUTH KOREA and PHILIPPINES) due to QRM.

Finally, I created a map (courtesy of www.QSOmap.org) showing all of the contacts from the past two weekends. The result is pretty amazing!