CQ WPX SSB 2023 – It’s a wrap!
This is it – CQ WPX SSB 2023 is a wrap.
After one year absence I returned back to my favorite contest of the year WPX SSB! As always the stage was set on Madeira Island operating CQ3W as usual but until the last minute I was undecided what category I should try. SOAB was loaded with top stations like D4Z, CR3DX, PJ4K, 8P8A and many more. Single band is usually not the best option in WPX as the call/dxcc is not so precious as it is in CQWW, but at the last second I picked SO 10m.
Conditions before the contest were quite promising, just until the contest started. 10m woke up very late and very strange on saturday. Only south east europe and pices of asia and almost no rates. It took two hours till propagation kiked in a litle bit!
NOT a single hour above 200 QSOs is quite unusual as well! So all you can do is keep fighting and hope for a spectecular day two, but this time it did not happen. Online score did not motivate either as PJ5J has took the lead with a huge gap that was unbeatable! I have to admit I was somewhat jealous on the 4x 5 element beams stocked in H formation he is using: Check this out!
So at the end I hung in there and tried my best as long as the bands were open.
CQ WPX SSB MAP
CQ WPX SSB Countries
At the moment I looks like I have to settle for World #3 and Africa #1 as a consolation prize.
Raw Scores 4.4.2023
Outside the contest two of my club members CT9/DD8ZX and CT9/DJ9KM added some 6000+ FT8 QSOs and I contributed 2600 as well.
QSL: Check on QRZ.com for QSL. CQ3W and CT9/DF7EE is Clublog OQRS ONLY!
As always a BIG THANK YOU to the TEAM CR3W to maintain this beautiful place in Santana!
Of course I will be back for CQ WW SSB in october!
73 and thanks for all the QSOs!
Helmut
