CQ WW is next week. I already decided that I will work seriously in WW, so this will be a great opportunity to check my contest set-up on 40 meters band before the big event. I was not able to start from the beginning of the LZ contest, so I missed first afternoon and evening, and lost a lot of contacts. Looking last year results I decided that my goal for this contest will be to try to make 100 QSO's on 40 meters and to write down all ideas that may help me to work better in CQ WW. I checked the propagation a couple of days before the contest, and I was really surprised by very strange and good propagations, with short "openings". At November 19. CX5BW was coming 20 dB over S9, and almost as strong were JA6 working with PY5, just couple of kHz away. They both were over S9. Great propagations, unfortunately not for QRP, I was not able to work any DX that evening.

I finally started LZ DX contest after 20 GMT, and worked 14 QSO's for the first hour. Again very strange propagations for QRP, a lot of signals, but my signal was not strong enough to work any serious DX. Shortly before midnight I worked UN0L - Kazakhstan, my best DX so far in this contest. Couple of minutes later I hear M3CVN, weak signal, but I liked his style and called him not expecting that he will be able to hear me, but he did. Best ears so far in this contest, I would like to know what his power was. This is important reason of having a QRP radio with a great receiver, the main design concept I have had designing A-1.

After midnight the noise level was unusually high, but I managed to work some DX's - a couple of long distance Russians from Siberia: RW9TA, UA9FGJ, RK9WZZ and RA9SO. Those guys are a great joy for me to work with. I often think of printing a ham radio map of this huge part of the world and try to work all those regions, but I've not done it yet.

I looked through my window frequently - to enjoy very nice winter evening, with a lot of snow on trees and ground (and my antenna as well). I like to work in contests from warm room with breezing cold snow night outside.

RU2FM/QRP was the first QRP station I worked in this contest so far, and I decided to make a tea and relax a little, to think again if I am going to use /qrp after my callsign in future. I never do this, but I may start to do so. Here is the reason: I always have fun when work someone who is QRP, but I probably work a lot more just not knowing they are QRP. Some great contest operators often tell how much they like to work QRP guys. So why to spoil the joy for them hiding that it is a QRP radio behind my call.

Sunday morning was very nice contest time. Early in the morning I heard a big PILE-UP, it was LZ3CB, I called him once and got him immediately.

Later I spent a lot of time calling CQ and got a lot of responses. This tactic always works in smaller contests.

My contest goal was reached one hour before the end, and I finished the contest with 105 QSOs in log. Not too many DX contacts, and no new countries for me, but this contest was a great fun to operate. See you all in next contests