ARRL 10-Meter Contest
Call: KD9MS
Operator(s): KD9MS
Station: KD9MS
Class: SO Mixed LP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 10
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
CW: 250 76
SSB: 104 45
-------------------
Total: 354 121 Total Score = 146,168
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
Awesome and frustrating at the same time!
The AWESOME!: Actually getting on and not just doing S&P like I normally do
on CW but actually getting on and calling CQ and having enough speed to be able
to copy "most" of what is sent pretty quick. I do thank all of the
operators that slowed down for me, I usually try to send about 24-26 wpm
because that's what I can copy. Starting after noon Saturday to try to run was
good because it was mostly CA, WA, OR but I did manage some other states.
Thank you Morse Runner! I have been trying to do 30 minutes every night and it
did help. I didn't panic so much. So I settled in and ran SO2R with SSB as my
mult radio up in the voice band section and I settled on 28.071 and called CQ.
It was actually working well but it was only states and some dx coming in. Max
rate was 180 per hour, for about 2 minutes, but it was glorious!
EU was booming, but not when I got up. 1100Z is too early for 10M, here in the
Midwest anyway. But when EU rolled in, it took about 5 minutes for it to really
open up! I did about 35 Q's in 30 minutes until I lost the frequency to an EF
station, but I had to leave anyway so it was ok. I logged him for a mult and
left. All in all that worked well. And I even got to find some SSB mults while
I was sending CQ and N1MM was switching like a charm.
Frustrations: Missing MS and MN because they are too close to copy me! As
usual, I was doing my S&P thing on the other radio, the one with the
"new" moved and raised tower. 30' of tower and 8' higher to the top
of my little hill made a big difference. I can hear a lot better now on that
setup. But with all the improvements, I still couldn't do anything about the
long skip conditions on 10M but that's the nature of the beast. I heard the MS
station making a contact and then call SSB CQ about 10 times with no one
answering! But being in EXTREME Southern IL and so close to MS, I missed him.
Same with the MN SSB station, they could both hear me, but couldn't pull me
out. 100 watts had failed me for the first time in a long time! I just hate to
leave a multiplier on the table.
But I still had fun, and I learned a few things and even learned how to call CQ
on CW and S&P on SSB. Thanks to all the SMC members that answered my call
and gave me those close in mults. A BIG TU to everyone that slowed down to help
me copy their call and exchange.
Coolest moment: Having VU2BGS answer my CQ! Thanks! Next coolest moment: Having
K9CT answer my CQ (backscatter almost killed that one!) Special mention cool
moment: Breaking the pileup to PZ5RA on the 2nd CALL!!!
73 and thanks to all!
Craig KD9MS
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|