CQ WW SSB 2008 USA: K5ZD Set To Defend Title; K1DG, NN3W, Others Ready For WRTC Chase

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted October 17, 2008

With propagation still limited on the high bands, this year's CQ WW SSB Contest once again seems to give the advantage to stations in New England, as they focus in on the ole mantra of "running Europe."

The defending US Single Op High Power champ is Randy Thompson K5ZD, who bested 2006 USA champ Rich DiDonna NN3W to grab top honors.

"I am planning to do a serious effort in WW Phone," Thompson told radio-sport.net. "Not sure it will be serious enough to win, but will give it 30+ hours."

Thompson's most serious challenge may come from Doug Grant K1DG, who has been fine tuning his N1LI contest station in Maine.

"K1DG's station is louder than mine on all bands," said Thompson. "I see him as the guy to beat if he is serious."

"This summer I used the WAE and IARU contests to test some new things out," Grant said earlier this month. "It's still just a one-tower-and-some-wires station, but the QTH in Maine plays quite well."

While Grant says K5ZD will be "the guy to beat," K1DG told radio-sport.net he's worried about what band conditions will appear during the contest.

"It's possible at this part of the sunspot cycle that stations further South might get openings on 15 or 10 meters that we don't get in W1, so the W2/W3/W4 gang has a chance," Grant added.

Two members of that "gang" are NN3W and Ken Claerbout K4ZW, who will both be trying to rattle the cage of the W1's.

"Rich will be at N3HBX and I'm planning to single op from NR4M's like I did last year," Claerbout told radio-sport.net.

"Rich has put up some fantastic scores the last two years," said Claerbout. "If anyone from this region is going to give the New England guys a challenge, he's the guy."

As you go West, it simply gets more difficult to reach the top of the heap in the US Single Op ranks, but that doesn't mean anyone's giving up.

"My goals are similar to previous years," wrote Steve London N2IC on the CQ-Contest reflector, who will be on from New Mexico, "have the highest SOAB score west of the Mississippi River, and break into the USA SOAB HP top-ten. Both are formidable challenges, which I did not achieve last year."

That award went to Dan Craig N6MJ, who operated the contest from K5TR's QTH in Texas, ending up in 9th place.

Both Craig and London are also fighting for qualifying points for the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championships. N2IC leads his NA #3 division, while Craig is trying to crack the top two in NA #4.