ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: KL8C
Operator(s): K6VVA
Station: K6VVA/KL7
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Alaska
Operating Time (hrs): 22:11
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 22
40: 225
20: 507
15: 47
10:
------------
Total: 801 Sections = 80 Total Score = 128,160
Club: Last Frontier Contest Club
Comments:
Greetings from Alaska and the Last Frontier Contest Club, where I de-virginized
KL8C in SS.
Here's a pix of the KL8C SuperStation antenna farm: http://www.k6vva.com/kl8c
The tiny fixed-mobile antenna worked okay on 20m, but I got beat up a lot on 40
& 80 even with a 9ft Buddipole shockcord whip added top at night.
When VY1JA said he might not be QRV for SS, I emailed J and said if his station
were available I might boogie on up to make sure everyone had a chance at a
clean sweep. I was not really interested in doing SS from my own RF hole QTH
this year. Well, here's the rest of the story...
J ended up being able to stay at home, so I got a wild idea to grab some stuff
and run back up to KL7 for SS. Fortunately, there was one freebie mileage plan
seat left on one of the flights, so I took it on Thursday - in spite of the WX
forecast calling for rain, snow and wind gusts up to 60MPH. OUCH!!! My pal
W6SC drove me and all my *stuff* to the airport on Friday.
The plan was to operate as "U" category, since my hosts said the Wireless
Internet was now working here. Unfortunately, after setting up the antenna in
the rain, I came in and realized I had forgotten the Packet module in WriteLog
had taken a dump, so ended up using DX Summit manually maybe 10 times total
during the contest. That was easier than changing all the message settings.
Each time I saw a VE1/VOP spot I couldn't hear anything, so what a monster
thrill when VE1OP later called me for #80 and a clean sweep. I was fumble
fingers on the keyboard I was so excited. Tnx again, OM !!! When VE2AWR
called me for a previous remaining mult, I sent TU QC, to which he responded
with TU AK. Those kinda things were fun moments.
It was really nice to get a lot of TU TU TU AK from many of you, so I hope I
made your day and contributed to a Clean Sweep. My last minute dream before
making this spur of the moment trip was to hopefully bag at least 800 Q's and a
Clean Sweep. Mission accomplished in spite of many hours of torture trying to
copy QRP signals. In college, I had a GTO with the infamous 3 duces and a 4
speed - a real chick magnet. My antenna here turned out to be a Q-category
magnet, and often mini pileups of Q1 signals almost zero beat on each other
swarming like bees down in the rain noise. Had some really bad static problems
on 40m Sunday evening.
Several stations did not include their callsign in the exchange, and I really
wish one of these days that some folks would read the rules to understand what
PREC means. Personally, I find the new trend of cut numbers in the SS CK
quite irritating, especially in QRM.
Tnx to all for pulling me out of the soup. If you want a cool place to take
your XYL on a 2nd Honeymoon, check out this QTH - The Waypoint Inn - about 10
miles outside Ketchikan. Dick and Barb are awesome hosts, and I had the Mother
of all Salmon Dinners" here last night after SS. http://www.waypointinn.com
73, Tnx for all the SS Q's, and GLITCOMs...
Rick, K6VVA * The (Alaskan) Locust
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|