Voodoo Contest Group History

Two Decades of CQWW CW in Africa

The VooDoo Contest Group has entered CQWWCW from West Africa every year since 1994, nineteen consecutive years, nearly two whole sunspot cycles – always in the Multi-Operator category. A group from Arizona first got the wander-lust, setting CQWWCW records from KP2 in the late 1980s. This group expanded and operated subsequently from 4U0ITU, CN5N, C56N, ZC4Z, ZF2WW but then in 1994 came Ghana, signing 9G5AA. This started a whole series of events, building the pile of equipment each year and travelling to different countries. During those 19 years we have been fortunate enough to operate from ten different West African countries and have won the contest six times.

Checking the map will show that we have gone full-circle, anti-clockwise. Our philosophy has always been to operate in a country two consecutive years, then move on. But now we have nowhere left to go! So, this is kind of the End of an Era. Besides, our stock-pile of equipment is falling apart from old age. Is that the end of the group? Certainly not! We continue to operate CQWWCW but nowadays light-weight equipment and vertical antennas means that we are free to travel with everything as airline luggage – so we are no longer tied to West Africa.

Year Country Call-Sign World Placing

1994 Ghana 9G5AA MM + winner

1995 Benin TY5A MM + winner

1996 Togo 5V7A MM + winner

1997 Togo 5V7A MM + winner

1998 Togo 5V7A MM - 2nd

1999 Ghana 9G5AA MM - 5th

2000 Ghana 9G5AA MM - 6th

2001 Burkina Faso XT2DX MM - 2nd + Multi-Op DXped

2002 Burkina Faso XT2DX MM - 3rd

2003 Niger 5U5Z MM - 2nd + Multi-Op DXped

2004 Niger 5U5Z MM - winner

2005 Mali TZ5A MM - 2nd

2006 Mali TZ5A MM - 3rd

2007 Guinea 3X5A MM winner + Multi-Op DXped

2008 Guinea 3X5A MM - 2nd

2009 S Leone 9L5A M2 - 2nd

2010 S Leone 9L5VT M2 - 3rd

2011 Liberia EL2A M2 - 6th +Multi-Op DXped

2012 Liberia EL2A MM - 4th + Multi-Op DXped

2013 Cyprus P3F M2 - 9th

2014 Kuwait 9K2HN MM - 3rd + Asian MM Record

2016 Suriname PZ5V M2 - 5th

2017 Suriname PZ5V M2 - 5th

NB.

‘MM’ = Multi-Operator, Multi-Transmitter

‘M2’ = Multi-Operator, Two Transmitters

The following article appeared in CQ Magazine, May 2013.