CQ DX Marathon

2015 DX Marathon: Comments

Thanks for the CQ Marathon……TA1O.  I am here for the seventh time. I really enjoy the DX Marathon and I hope to again be first in the Digital category……IK5FKF.  This is a great contest!  I decided to focus on 10 meters this year, as the band will be ratcheting down with the solar cycle decline. The conditions on 10 m this year were substantially worse than last year. I missed a lot of stuff either due to my schedule, the propagation, or the time a needed entity was on the air - band not open yet to my area. Regardless of the outcome, I had a lot of fun chasing down the DX again this year……KB0EO I hope to win on 30M after 5 years without win the first place……FG4NO.  The bands just were not very good for us here on the East side of NC.  But it was fun, and will do it another year.  Would like to have a report on the results……N4ANV.   Thanks guys for running this each year, what a fun contest……VK4FFAB.    The Marathon is always fun. Good incentive to work DX even when your DXCC total is 331. Already worked 113 DX and 26 zones since New Year’s Day……VE2BR.   This was not a great year for me due to a few medical problems and long trips, but I enjoy the contest every year……W4CU.   Was a good year, with many days of poor conditions - will see what 2016 brings us…..N6QQ.   I live in a subdivision with all kinds of restrictions but I have a big attic and things have worked out for me getting on the air. I had a tower and tribander 50 years ago when I was in high school so I’ve kinda gone backwards……WA9LEY.   I found the help pages excellent for keeping me better organized this year…..N0AH.  I get to work DX and not have to screw around with QSL cards…..W9XS.   I wasn’t serious about the Marathon this year—too much going on—but added some new ones in December, including two new ones on the 31st!  Maybe if I succeed at retirement….. W1EBI I achieved my goal of improving over last year. This is the best contest and hope it’s a record year of entries…..W0RIC.   Conditions are on the decline but had great fun again this year…….VK4CC.    I know it won’t be the winning score but I tried my best to defend last years score.  Congrats to all winners…..PA2LO.  Antenna problems first 3 months of the year meant I missed a few and missed several easy ones.  New to CW so that was fun……VK3MEG My first year to enter……W7SLS.  A fantastic years’ DXing for me, culminating on a real high thanks to P5/3Z9DX…..ZL2IFB.  All QSO’S made during "SOTA" (Summits On The Air) operations on mountain tops……HB9CBR/P.   Always fun doing the Marathon. Not as good as the last two years but still fun. Hope for a better 2016…..WA4JQS.  Another good year on HF.  Higher band conditions not as good as in previous years so looking forward to the next solar cycle……GI4SJQ.  Another great year of DX chasing fun….W9KNI.  Bands not as good as years past but still had lots of fun, looking forward to next year……WG5G.  Conditions not great, appreciate any activity….W8DX.  During 2015 I was operating QRP, mostly CW but also a few SSB QSO’s…..SM5MEK.  The DX Marathon keeps me dx’ing all year - great contest……N1AM.  Everybody - thanks for QSOs……LY5M.   First Marathon. Worked over 3,500 stations in 2015……KX7YT.   First time in the Marathon - lots of fun……AJ8B.  First timing posting results for CQ DX Marathon….K7VIT.   First year back in DXing for some time and had a great time…..G0MFR.   I am happy to have participated in the Marathon for the 1st time and the result despite my location not being favorable, as in downtown…..CT4VB.

 I am very pleased with my results this year. 77 countries worked off a single wire antenna using low power is quite the achievement…..VK4FFAB.  I enjoy this contest every year, seems to keep my DX mind clear and wanting more each year.  It's a wonderful program and I encourage more to get involved.  Thank you for all the effort you place in this event each year…..N7RD.  I love this contest! It keeps me interested in DX all year long…..W8QZA.   I only found out about the CQ DX Marathon in March. What a wonderful thing. It brought new life to ham radio for me……VE3VEE.  I will be glad to participate in this award program in future, but I will not bother with it if the PDF electronic award is the prize for winning the country…..S51DX.  It is interesting to note that all 40 zones were worked over a 24 hour and 30 minute period on just 20 Meter CW during the CQWW CW contest……W1NG.  It was a wonderful year with a good number of ATNO's. I hope to increase my CQ DX Marathon Score for the next year…… VU3DMP.   Lots of fun.  Great way to encourage operation.  It was a pretty good year…..AC7P.   Meager effort, partly due to being busier at work this year. 500W to a 2-element Yagi on a nearby hilltop, operated remotely from my home office……N6ML.   Missed a few this year, many interruptions with travel and equipment maintenance.  Tower and antennas down for several weeks reduced opportunity to work a few more…..W4QN.   More difficult this year with numerous solar flares and low solar flux.  But the DX was there…..WA5VGI.  My first entry……VA7CRZ.    My fourth year, and most frustrating, pile-up behavior was terrible.  Giving the Marathon a rest…..N4KW.   My score is down from last year, blame it mostly on propagation as I had hard time working into South Asia…..W2NK.   Rookie – First year on HF – great fun…..KA9BBQ.  Second Year submittal….WC3W.  Second-time entry. Didn't purposefully run in the Marathon, but did manage some countries while contesting, chasing ATNO and band slots/modes……N0FCD.   Seemed like band conditions were significantly worse than 2014, but I somehow still bested my 2014 score by 10 points!  The Marathon is great fun…..KM7N.  Thank you the CQ Marathon.  CU in 2016…..HB9TRR.  Thank you very much to all. Good DX. Best 73's…..PY5DK.  The DX Marathon has been pushing up my daily activities throughout the year….JA0DAI.    The limited power edition should be 200 watts or barefoot rig output…..VE1NB.  This was a good year despite absolutely terrible conditions….VE1JS.  This was the first full year at our new QTH in Arizona. Seems to be a much better ham location then the old QTH in Colorado. Having these awesome JK Antennas have really paid off. Thanks for a fun year of DX! Best hobby in the world….W0RIC.  Thanks for excellent event…..NP4RA.   Very nice competition! I've got a better final score than last year, 225 country verified.  I hope to do a better result next year…..IK2ULV.   Wonderful time and lots of fun. But bad luck with antenna problems and lightning strike at the end of September. I was able to fix the antennas only late in December. I hope for better conditions next year…...N4IS.