CQWW CW: HOPES FOR BETTER TIMES ON 40 METERS

By Jamie Dupree NS3T, radio-sport.net 

One of the areas of post-contest agreement after the 2007 CQWW DX SSB Contest was that 40 meters - always tough during a worldwide SSB contest - just did not produce QSO and multiplier numbers as expected.

"Everyone is saying how hard it was to run 40 meters during the phone weekend," said Dave Lawley G4BUO, one of many ops who made more contacts on 80 meters than 40 in the SSB test.

"We'll be hoping it is much better in the CW contest and will be looking to the band for the bulk of 3-point QSOs overnight," said Lawley who will be joining the multi-single operation at G5W for the CW test.

"40 meters was the big shock," said Andy Cook G4PIQ, whose SSB effort at M6T has him at #7 World in SSB claimed scores.

"Like many others I really couldn't make headway there. Also, northerly paths, especially Japan, were even poorer than I feared," said Cook.

Cook's numbers bear that out, as he made almost 1100 contacts on 80 meters, but could only muster 565 on 40 meters.

One of the few who seemed to shrug off the tough conditions on 40 meters was Tine Brajnik S50A, who managed to rack up 1147 contacts, double what he made on 80 meters.

But even Brajnik was left wanting more.

"Dissapointment was 40 meters which was very poor in last few contests, so we expected a better band this time," said Brajnik.

"My tactics were wrong with 40 meters since i expected that band would open up any moment and so I stayed there too long both days."

Across the Atlantic in Zone 5, "40 was rough sledding," said Jeff Briggs VY2ZM/K1ZM after his 10-plus million point effort in CQWW SSB. "I worked very little from EU the first night."

Briggs didn't even work a JA on 40 this contest, telling radio-sport.net he heard only one the whole weekend, as he made 762 contacts on 40 meters with his upgraded 40 meter antennas. Still, he's optimistic about the CW test.

"I felt handcuffed by the band (during SSB) because I could not do what I wanted at critical moments during the contest. That can happen on SSB due to space limitations and the overall mess that is Europe after dark!" said Briggs.

"The best that can be said about 40 meters is that it is tough going on SSB....CW, being a narrower mode, is more forgiving during WW."

40 meters was also difficult from the Caribbean, where some of the top high power operators had to battle excessive static levels and what some felt was one-way propagation on that band.

"Loud EU stations that were CQing on 40 and 80 often would not answer," said Scott Robbins W4PA, who operated as P40PA from Aruba. "I had a hard time getting an EU run going."