ARRL DX Contest, CW
Call: W3EF
Operator(s): W3EF
Station: W3EF
Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Silver Spring, MD
Operating Time (hrs): 42
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 58 39
80: 103 55
40: 655 85
20: 638 76
15: 329 74
10: 23 12
-------------------
Total: 1806 341 Total Score = 1,847,538
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
OK, so I?m working in HB9 these days and am living there with the family. But
this contest is too good to miss, and I?ve put too much into this station over
the past three years not to use it, so with the kind indulgence of our tenants I
came back to run my favorite contest from the home QTH.
And it proved to be a personal best for me. My goals were 1) to get all the
main station hardware and software working again, 2) to further improve my SO2R
technique, and 3) to get back in the Low Power top five after last year?s eighth
place finish. Thanks to Mike, W3MC, the 40M beam and rotor were repaired and
working just in time, and I managed to repair the 80M wire 4-square, free the
beverages from fallen branches, and get the SPG box re-connected in the couple
of days between flying in and getting on the air. (Oh yes, I also managed to
bag 3Y0X, one of the 11 all-time new ones I have left, on several band-mode
slots in the process. ?Not honor roll after all this time?? I hear you ask.
Well it?s tough when you don?t actually live in your home country for 10 out of
the last 14 years! Yes, I do have 200+ confirmed as G0UHK, but no way am I
starting again from HB9?.)
I had been trying for over a year to figure out what had happened to the
computer control of my left radio, which packed up just after it was repaired by
ICOM. I finally figured out, however, that the problem was not the rig itself,
but the control cable I had purchased. It had a stereo plug coming out! One
quick trip to Radio Shack (remember when they sold radio stuff?) and a
stereo-to-mono adapter and voila! This enabled me to get full use out of
Writelog, including the excellent band mapping software. What a difference it
made to be fully automated again. Goal 1 achieved.
The Writelog software has excellent support for SO2R, especially the automatic
CQ feature coupled with the search window and the ability to snag a station on
the second radio in between CQs with the touch of one button. I very nearly
mastered this, particularly on Saturday morning when 20 and 15 were so hot I
really had to be on both bands at the same time. When the rate meter hit 174
and stayed there for a good half hour, I knew I was well on the way to making
goal 2.
Will I achieve goal 3? That remains to be seen, but if I don?t I have only
myself to blame: Sunday morning I overslept and missed the first two hours of
the EU run on 20 and 15. I guess there is always room for operator failure, no
matter how well things are going?. Warm congratulations to Ed, N1UR, on another
top-notch performance, and to Larry, K7SV, especially on his incredible
multiplier total. If I want to be petty, I can attribute some (but only some)
of Ed?s score to his 1-land location, but with Larry next door in Virginia, I
have no recourse?just sheer admiration! As I have for all the top ops who
continually set the pace in this contest?well done!
Lastly, please note that, at least at the time of this submission, there are
four PVRCers in the (claimed) Low Power Top Ten! Go PVRC!
73 and see you on the bands, maybe even from HB9?
Maury W3EF
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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