I was forced to compete in the 80-meter band. Why was I forced? A week before the CQ WPX SSB 2026 Contest, I discovered that the tribander wasn’t connected. My first suspicion fell on the band decoder. However, it was switching exactly as it should. Testing the antenna switch on the mast showed that the switching was working. It wasn’t until I connected the nanoVNA that I confirmed the antenna wasn’t connected. That’s when I noticed that the coaxial cable above the rotator was severed… During a recent 360° rotation of the antenna, the cable apparently became taut and snapped against the bearing plate on the rotator.
Since I have a better antenna for the 80-meter band, I chose that band. OM7AB has held the Slovak record on this band since 2008. Back when Vlado was still alive and contesting, it was understood that any result better than his would be considered very good.
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TIP: Using the SH6 Log Analyzer
DXCC in OM7AB’s Log
The contest log analyzer from S53ZO offers multiple perspectives. OM7AB’s log was available on the CQ WPX website. One of the most interesting sections is the analysis showing the times when contacts were made to specific countries. This makes it possible to take into account openings to different parts of the world.
Other views, such as speed or breaks, also provide some insight. Since Vlad’s result was very good, following his example at least a little shouldn’t lead to a bad result.
DXCC by time in OM7AB’s log
OM7AB’s breaks
WPX First Night
It’s no problem to get up, but waking up is another story! The alarm goes off 20 minutes before the start of the contest, which begins at one o’clock in the morning our time. The band is already crowded. During the first hour, making contacts is relatively easy, because you rarely come across a station you’ve already worked. That’s why the pace is almost always fastest at the start of the contest.
Surprisingly, there are still some open spots on the band, and it’s possible to make contacts even with low power. In the first hour, I made 64 contacts; in the second, 69—the highest number of the entire contest. After three hours, I had exactly the same number of contacts as Vlado.
The next two hours, however, were more successful. In the following hour, however, conditions deteriorated. This was likely caused by solar activity. I therefore decided to take an early break and rest.
Non-contest Activities
After a short rest, I moved on to some planned home maintenance—painting. Due to a lack of time, I had to paint two rooms right during the contest. In the afternoon, a little rest and some quality time with the family.
WPX, Night Two
OM7AB’s hourly rate
I start at 16:29 UT with a contact with SP4TT. The pace is excellent. Shortly thereafter, I surpass Vlad OM7AB in the number of contacts. For the rest of the contest, there’s no longer a situation where he has a higher number of contacts at the same time.
I make my 500th contact before midnight. An hour later, I take a break to sleep. Although less than three hours of rest meant I wouldn’t make any more contacts, the 80-meter band with 100W of power isn’t a bottomless well of reachable stations. After the break, the pace wasn’t quite as fast, but I added stations like K3RA, CQ9A, ED7O, KB3WD, KU2M, and 4O3A to my log. The contact counter shows 594, and the clock reads 7:20 a.m. local time. That’s 5:20 UTC, since the clocks were set to daylight saving time overnight.
Sunday Rest
My partner planned a family visit for Sunday, so I was able to relax. In the afternoon, I even managed to take a nap for a few hours.
We’re heading into the final!
I’ll check the band at 16:35 UT, but I’ll actually start about 20 minutes later. I’m also keeping an eye on the live scores as I go. At that moment, I’m still in the lead, but OL7P is catching up. This call sign belongs to the experienced DXer and contest operator Paľo OK1CRM. You can tell he’s doing better. My contacts are also increasing at a fairly steady pace.
Comparison of the number of contacts between OM0A and OL7P
You can see a change in how the contestants react to spots. Even if a relatively unimportant but new station appears among the spots, a massive pile-up ensues.
Comparison of OM0A and OL7P operating times
TIP: Calling spots in reverse order
I have set the spot expiration time to 20 minutes. I monitor the spotted station on VFO B (SO2V). However, I rarely call within the first ten minutes after a spot appears! The chance of getting through among high-power stations is low then. However, once the initial rush has died down, it’s usually not that hard. Overall, I’ve worked nearly 50 stations this way,
Overview of DX spots for OM0A
| DE | DX | FREQ | OBS | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OM1AEG | OM0A | 3659 | LSB | 2122z March 29 |
| DA7DA | OM0A | 3658.9 | 2023z Mar 29 | |
| DL6RDR | OM0A | 3658.9 | LSB | 2014, March 29 |
| LZ5R | OM0A | 3664 | 1855z Mar 29 | |
| DK8ZZ | OM0A | 3785.5 | 1757z Mar 29 | |
| OM4AZL | OM0A | 3785.5 | LSB | 1751z Mar 29 |
| OM1BC | OM0A | 3785.5 | CQ WPX | 1746z Mar 29 |
| DK7AM | OM0A | 3652.1 | 0358z Mar 29 | |
| DA2N | OM0A | 3692 | 2340z Mar 28 | |
| DL2RMC | OM0A | 3622.7 | 2219z Mar 28 | |
| DJ5NE | OM0A | 3623.1 | 2214z Mar 28 | |
| OL7K | OM0A | 3630 | lsb | 2130z March 28 |
| DL4VK | OM0A | 3677.9 | 1918z Mar 28 | |
| SD6D | OM0A | 3677.9 | LSB | 1910z Mar 28 |
| DL5RMH | OM0A | 3690 | WPX | 1839z Mar 28 |
Fatigue
I’m running most of the CQ WPX on call, but it’s often impossible to stay on the frequency. Around 19UT, OL7P is ahead of me in the score, which is due to multipliers. I’m doing better in terms of the number of contacts. I’m making more contacts, but my multiplier score is already slipping.
Comparison of OM0A and OL7P multipliers
A crisis is setting in. My concentration is low, and even simple contacts are becoming more difficult. Peťo OM4AJA could probably tell you a thing or two about that! But I’m on the air and have surpassed 700 contacts. A new contact is added every 2–3 minutes. However, this is greatly complicated by stations that tune in (perhaps intentionally?) in such a way that they start causing interference. It’s as if they don’t mind that I’ve been calling on the frequency for 10 minutes now—I have a spot in the cluster and can hear her at 59+25 dB—so it seems impossible to me that she isn’t picking me up.
I notice that Paľo OL7P is no longer active, but he has a significant lead. However, scoring in CQ WPX can be tricky, because the combination of multiple points for a contact with multipliers can cause the score to jump suddenly. A single contact, given this number of contacts, can be worth as many as a thousand points. It’s interesting that there are still stations I haven’t made contact with before. I miss out on two multipliers (I think DK6N, who suddenly went QRT, and OL26WRTC, who someone started interfering with).
Comparison of OM0A and OL7P Scores
Comparison of OM0A and OL7P Scores
Map of Contacts in the CQ WPX Contest
In the end, there were 771 contacts and 8 duplicates. In terms of contacts, I’m just one point (!) behind OL7P. However, I have 430 multipliers, which gives me 682,410 points. The station I was trying to work in the last minute reported: “Contest is over, thank you guys! I’m going to sleep.” Someone quickly replied, “Sleep well!” I heard, “I will…” That’s right—it was a great show, but it’s time to rest.