Tough Band Conditions Again Drive Strategy As High Bands Remain Mired in Low Sunspots

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

If you want any evidence that this year's CQ WW DX Contests may face tough propagation conditions again, consider that the US Space Agency NASA this month delayed - for a third time this year - the estimate of when the next solar cycle will truly begin.

That date is now in early 2009, meaning this year's CQ WW SSB test should again feature rough sledding on the high bands much like a year ago.

"The sun is now in an exceptionally quiet period," says Frank Donovan W3LPL. His best bet from the East Coast of the US to Europe is for slow going.

"160 and 80 may be very good. European openings on 40 will probably be fairly brief. 20 meters is likely to be mostly a daytime band. We'll be lucky to get many QSOs in Europe on 15. 10 meters will be a North-South band, with only brief openings.

"With the solar cycle unchanged from last October, using logs from the 2007 CQWW to plan your strategy seems like a fine idea," wrote Steve London N2IC on the CQ-Contest reflector.

"Based on conditions from the CQ WW RTTY contest, it looks like another 20m slug fest all day," admits Randy Thompson K5ZD.

In other words, 20 meters will be a meat grinder.

"It would be nice to have a few Sun Spots to help 10 and 15 meters," says Tim Duffy K3LR, but we’ll play the hand we are dealt when it comes to propagation."

What does it mean for your strategy? Even the top operators say it means realizing that finding mults and giving up some QSO rate may be best for your score, especially when it comes to 160 and 10 meters.

"Operating both of these bands may require giving up some rate, say on 80/40 or on 15 meters," says John Crovelli W2GD/P40W, "but it is essential to be on these bands at the right times to bag the multipliers."

"10 meters is extremely difficult," adds Crovelli. "You just never know when it might open to somewhere. And most often, the openings are extremely brief, to Europe for instance."

"If you are SO2R equipped, constantly monitoring 10M during daylight, you are probably less likely to miss these unpredictable openings."

"Push, push, push the second radio," says Andy Cook G4PIQ/M6T.

As for 40 meters, it continues to provide better signals often in the hours before sunset, and then drops off after darkness sets in.

"40 meters has been really lousy recently," reports Tonno Vahk ES5TV, who said the "MUF has been dropping below it at night."

That makes Vahk's strategy fairly simple. Work Europe and move multipliers.

"It is only about piling up EU stations and catching and QSYing mults the rest of the time when the US is not reachable anywhere," says Vahk.

When to run and when to search for mults is always an issue, especially when openings are limited like they were last year.

"If propagation allows for high rates, I will probably just run all Saturday, and try to catch up on multipliers on Sunday," says Ben Och DL6FBL, who will be at SV9CVY this year.

That strategy worked well enough last year to get Och second place in Europe in the CQ WW CW test.

"Another story is the different frequency allocation of 7100-7200 throughout Europe," says Och. "DL and many other countries can use 7100-7200, and thus can work USA transceive, while this segment is still not allowed in SV9."

That's a reminder to US stations as well, that only listening down might cost you contacts, not only from Europe, but other DX locations.

This is also the first CQ WW SSB test where US operators will have extra room on both 40 meters (down to 7125) and 75 meters (down to 3600.)

Also expanded this year, the SSB frequencies for contesters in Japan.

"The new JA phone band segments are: 3525-3575, 3599-3612, 3680-3687, 3702-3716, 3745-3770, 3791-3805," says Steve N2IC.

"Regardless of the conditions, this contest just generates so much activity that it is really fun," says defending US SOAB HP champ Randy Thompson K5ZD.

"Once I get started, it is hard to stop!"