CR2X (OH2UA) Breaks 11 Million Points, Takes Lead In 2009 CQ WW SSB Over 4O3A (ES5TV)

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted October 28, 2009

With better conditions on 15 meters for contesters around the world, the early numbers in the 2009 CQ WW SSB contest feature two top scores from Europe, as Toni Linden OH2UA leads the way with just over 11 million points, after another strong effort from CR2X in the Azores.

"Conditions were not spectacular from the Azores and especially the low bands were down from last year," Linden told radio-sport.net.

"Fortunately I was able to push my mults on the second day to somewhat reasonable numbers even tough on 20M I'm missing 25-30 countries," said Linden.

"11.5 million would have been possible this year at CR2X but no matter what I would have done I wouldn't have reached 12 million," he added.

Linden has the lead in Europe - and overall for now - over Tonno Vahk ES5TV, who was the first into the clubhouse with a claimed score of 10.59 million points.

"I want to congratulate Tonno, ES5TV, for his great effort! At this point I guess we can stop talk that from mainland EU it's not possible to compete with Azores!" said Linden.

As for Vahk, he was very pleased with his results.

"Optimistic target was 8 million, but 10 and 15 meters were better than expected," Vahk said on 3830.

Vahk took full advantage of the openings on 15 meters, running up 2,341 QSO's on that band, with an average of 2.03 points per QSO.

ES5TV operated from the QTH of Ranko Boca 4O3A in Montenegro, which helped him total 7,680 contacts, 165 zones and 575 DXCC for 10,590,140 points.

Other top scores that were expected from the weekend - but not yet made public - included Rich Smith N6KT, who was at HC8A and Tom Georgens W2SC, who also was running big pileups from 8P5A.

The difference in the 2008 CQ WW SSB for HC8A was better openings on 10 meters than his competitors, and judging from the spots in 2009, Smith had the advantage again.

HC8A had three times the number of 10 meter spots as 8P5A, almost 10 times as many as CR2X, and 15 times the spot numbers of 4O3A.

Those four heavyweights all did about the same in terms of spots on other bands, except on 160 meters, where HC8A had no spots at all show up on the DX Summit search for this past weekend.

In the Assisted category, the early leader is past champ Sergey Rebrov UT5UDX, who ran ER4DX in Zone 16 to 8.4 million points.

As for the Single Op Low Power battle, that seems likely to run through Aruba this year, as past champ John Bayne KK9A was on in Aruba as P40A, a call that he's used for LP victories in recent years from there.

For many including the big shots, 15 meters gave a lot of contesters a lot to smile about this weekend - after several years of depressed conditions.

K3LR Wins Again In US Multi-Multi Battle

A year after becoming the first US Multi-Multi to win the world title in 45 years, Team K3LR put in another strong performance that will win the US M/M crown in 2009.

"The 2008 CQWW Phone contest was a hard act to follow," said Tim Duffy K3LR.

"We had a great contest this year. It looks like this will be the 5th straight year for Team K3LR as the #1 USA Multi Multi operation," Duffy told radio-sport.net.

The overall world lead right now in M/M is in the hands of DR1A, with 22.1 million points, while K3LR checked in with 20.5 million.

That was more than good enough for the win in the US as well, as K3LR bested KC1XX at 17.8 million and W3LPL at 16.4 million claimed points.

"Biggest surprise was when K3LR 80 meter team operator Andy N2NT worked B7P on 80 meters - bent path," Duffy said.

"The phased four square vertical array that we use at K3LR was N2NT’s idea, so it only seems fitting that he had one of the best QSOs ever with that antenna," Duffy added.

Check back for score updates on the 2009 CQ WW SSB Contest all week here at radio-sport.net!