NA Sprint CW Contest
Call: N5DO
Operator(s): N5DO
Station: N5DO
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: TX
Operating Time (hrs): 4
Summary:
Band QSOs Op Time
---------------------
80: 40
40: 114
20: 87
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Total: 241 Mults = 45 Total Score = 10,845
Club:
Team: Austin Powers
Comments:
Every CW Sprint I operate ends with me saying, "I can do better." No other
contest seems to test both me and my equipment like this one -- and I often come
out second best. This time I had both my radios operational and all my antennas
ready. With 15 minutes before the contest I was listening to 20M and nervously
thought I would check everything. So on my StepIR antenna I decided to
recalibrate, just to make sure it was exactly right. Suddenly it was not
working at all -- high SWR and not receiving at all. I frantically tried to fix
it, but to no avail. I would have not operated at all, but I had told N3BB to
sign me up for the Austin Powers Team and I didn't want to let the other team
members down. I decided a few contacts would be better than none, so I used my
second radio antenna (an old Mosley TA-33 fixed to the northeast at 30 feet) and
the 40M beam and 80M dipole and went at it.
I ended up with about the same number of contacts I usually have, so it doesn't
appear that lacking my rotatable 20M antenna hurt much. I do think I would have
made more contacts, though, if I was in a better frame of mind. I spent the
first 30 minutes fuming over my stupid error in not leaving the antenna alone,
and the next 3 1/2 hours worrying over what was wrong.
Anyway, as has been said by many others in the remarks this year, it was a great
contest with lots of operators. As always, I look forward to the next one and
am sure I can do better!
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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