ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: K6LA
Operator(s): K6LA
Station: K6LA
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: LAX
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 222
40: 451
20: 496
15: 219
10:
------------
Total: 1388 Sections = 80 Total Score = 222,080
Club: Southern California Contest Club
Comments:
So I have a great clear frequency on 15m in the middle of the trenches that I'm
warming up with the paddles a few minutes before the contest starts. The clock
rolls over to 2100Z and I hit F1 ... and NOTHING happens. What? The paddles are
working through the multi-keyer. The computer was sending CW a few moments ago.
ARRGGGG!!! A reboot of Writelog solved the problem, but the clear frequency was
lost. And, the first 3 minutes with no QSOs.
Well, it did get better. Despite the slow start, I was able to put 3
consecutive 100+ hours in the log and the rate kept in the 80's for the next 3.
Usually I suffer a much steeper dropoff after the 1st few hours. Murphy did
revisit during that time. Both 87As started flipping into standby reporting
filament current problems. I wound up turning them off, letting them sit a few
minutes and then powering back up (the longest 3 minutes in ham radio.) The
problems went away.
Bottom line was this was over 20 QSOs better than my previous best claimed
score - and without any QSOs on 10 meters. While conditions were good, they
were also strange. I was hearing CA stations on 15m & 20m louder than on 40m.
All 3 bands were wide open to the entire US, sometimes at the same time. 80m
went long early also.
The sweep was in the bag a little before 0500 Saturday evening and the last
section was SDG! I could have worked W6YI in SDG on 15m earlier in the contest,
but decided to wait until the rate slowed down. EVERY section called ME. I found
VY1JA on 15m about 2 hours into the contest, but W8IVF/VE8 called me later.
I took 4.5 hours off straight at night and actually slept well, needing the
alarm to wake me up. While I felt well rested and not tired Sunday afternoon as
a result, that was probably my biggest mistake. I should have gotten up an hour
earlier and skipped the last hour of the contest as I only made 21 QSOs.
See you from VY2TT for the SS SSB.
73, Ken, K6LA / VY2TT
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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