The WPX contest is based on an award offered by CQ Magazine for working all prefixes. Held on the last weekend of March 30-31, 2013 (SSB) and May May 25-26, (CW), the contest draws thousands of entries from around the world. It’s the first time that I can remember the CQ WPX contest taking place over the Easter Weekend in times pasts the working man or women would have looked forward to Christmas and Easter because traditionally in England these two church events would have meant a day’s holiday and to be honest I have never heard or read in the papers or online any one recorded as saying on their death dead “I wish I had spent more time at work”  I share the radio shack with my son Peter 2E0SQL and this year Peter planned to operate from home and I figure that I might get a couple of hours in the contest during Peters rest breaks. Then the opportunity came up for him to join the M0VSQ  contest group and operate from the Birdlip & Brimsfield  cricket ground  Birdlip  is located in the Cotswolds  about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Cheltenham and 8 miles (13 km) south east of Gloucester.

A change of planned meant I was able to change my operating times   I figured the best opposition for me was to try a more relaxed operating style search and pounce one hour on one hour off and see how I managed I was going to be very flexible I figured working 10 in an hour was a good level in my first hour I worked 10 on 80m between 05:15 – 06:15 during the second hour 07:03- 08:03 on 40m I worked 26

Over the weekend I found that the best band for me was 20m with 40m in second place 15m was interesting as the signals on the band all sounded watery. I kept checking 10m but the band never opened for me.

Summary

Band……QSO….Points……

160          —         —

80             12       23

40            56        123

20            70       82

15           26        34

Final score 36.942

station set up:

Antenna G5RV Rig FT-950 power 10 watts.