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HELP! What to do for CQ WW CW?

For over a week now I have been wondering what to do for CQ WW CW this year. I’m not fit for a SOAB effort. I’d need sleep and would have a hell of a time recovering afterwards. The goal of this WW CW is a) to get on the air with b) as much fun and as many QSO as possible.

My initial plan was to do SB80. My antenna plays well in CW and can provide enough fun. Bonus: lots of sleep during the daytime. Not totally zombiefied afterwards.

During WW SSB I thought that there was much more life on 40. No way I’d go there on phone, but it seems to be my best band in CW when the higher bands drop off. I made more than a 1000 Q on 40 in a SOAB(A) effort, so when focusing on 7 MHz only, this could be fun too. And still room for a few naps during the daylight hours. And if SB40 is the way to go: shouldn’t I add an extra antenna for that band? Say: a low dipole?

However… There seems to be an opportunity for quite some fun on the twenty meters band. I have three elements one lambda high. Suitable for some good DX runs too. With lots of sleep during the night so the biorhythm isn’t upset.

And if SB20 is the way to go: shouldn’t I add an extra (lower) antenna fixed to Russia/Middle East? And what antenna should that be? Apart from a crappy trapped vertical, I have nothing and it should be a good antenna. I could make a wire moxon rectangle and put it up about 10m high. But then I’d need to install the field day mast and guy it. Or put the moxon up vertically? Or what about a three element vertical parasitic array (director-driver-reflector)? Could that be easily done?

Actually I’m not too keen on doing all that extra antenna work if in the end it would not pay off or only marginally.

You see: I’m having a hard time deciding what to do and how to do it. And I’m not even taking propagation and wind speed into the equation! Anyone with some good advice here? 

What would YOU do in CQ WW CW?

  • SB80 - the safe bet with a proven antenna. (27%, 3 Votes)
  • SB40 but use a wire dipole too and feed both antennas with the stackmatch. (27%, 3 Votes)
  • SB40 with just the dipole up 22m high. It's good as it is. (18%, 2 Votes)
  • SB20 but try to make a three element parasitic array which is much less hassle than a moxon and that field day mast. (18%, 2 Votes)
  • SB20 with just the yagi. It doesn't need extra work and you're never going to play with the big boys anyway. (9%, 1 Votes)
  • SB20 but try to make a moxon and get it up 10m high. You have the stackmatch anyway. (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 11

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2 replies on “HELP! What to do for CQ WW CW?”

Seriously? OK, you said 40 “seems to be my best band in CW”. It’s 5-1/2 days to the green flag so you have little time and there’s the crazy weather in ON. You have a killer rotatable dipole for 40. Adding a wire dipole (“Dipoles rock!”–W1EBI) could get you those close 1-point Q’s. Aim it toward SA-Carib and rotate the Big Gun. I could fly over for a M/1 effort but I’m committed to the weekend at VE2BWL 🙂

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