ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB
Call: VE6CNU
Operator(s): VE6CNU
Station: VE6CNU
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Calgary
Operating Time (hrs): 22
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 92
40: 63
20: 251
15: 240
10:
------------
Total: 646 Sections = 79 Total Score = 102,068
Club: ALBERTA CLIPPERS
Comments:
Last year I did this contest QRP and vowed never again. This year I ran 100W
and it felt just as bad as last year. It was like there was an invisible
barrier which required high power to be heard. The contest started at 2PM
local time Saturday afternoon. My idea was to work the big guns on Sunday and
make some big runs early. So much for big ideas. With 20m being the only
choice to start with, it instantly filled up and there were 4 or 5 high power
stations on top of each other from one end of the band to the other. This
meant S&P the entire first day - and mainly working the big guns. At exactly
4:40PM local, 20m just died and I switched to 40m. It wasn't much better.
After an hour or so, I switched to 75m, where I got new mults in EMA, RI, NH,
NNJ and ENY. It wasn't until around 1AM that I began hearing close-by stations
in WWA and MT. Finally, I got my first OR at 2AM! This was my cue to quit for
the night.
I started back up around 8AM MST on Sunday and 20m was already hopping. In
fact, I tuned the dial from 14180 to 14220 and couldn't make out a single
station, as everything just sounded like mush. This made me want to quit all
over again. And then I decided to try 15m and behold, it was open! I ran over
200+ stations for the next 2-3 hours and started feeling better. I was still
missing ND, MB, QC and WVA. At 12:30PM I decided I better go back to 20m and
search for the missing sections, at least QC and WVA. After 5 minutes I heard
a pileup for a VE2 and managed to work him. I then went back to 15m a little
while later and it had already started to die. I went back and did more S&P on
20m and just before it died I managed to get a call from WVA. After a short
time on 40m, I managed to hear a VE4 working another guy - and he was loud. I
had him QSY up a bit and managed to get him. I never did hear ND, so that was
the one I missed. I ended up quitting an hour before the end, as 80m already
seemed like it was on its way out. All I could hear were the stations I'd
already worked.
I'd like to thank W7RN for trying so hard to pull me through, before giving up.
We worked later with ease. And I agree with K9GX when he commented that 80m
sounded like summer propagation. Things were sure strange propagation-wise on
all the bands, but I guess this is to be expected at the bottom of a cycle. I
guess I had fun, but I'm also glad its over! It would be interesting to try
this contest if everyone were limited to low power, but I know this will never
happen. And who said ham radio is dying? I can imagine Yogi Berra saying
something like, "I could talk to a bunch more people if there weren't so many
guys on!"
Again, thanks to all who pulled me through and see you in the next one.
73,
Jerry
VE6CNU
Transmitter: FT-1000MP 100W
Antennas: TH6DXX @ 40' for 15m/20m, inverted vee for 40m, shunt-fed tower 80m.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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