ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 15
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 109
40: 50
20: 360
15: 132
10:
------------
Total: 651 Sections = 83 Total Score = 108,066
Club: Orca DX and Contest Club
Comments:
I tried hard, but lost oomph a few times. Just 15 hours on.
Finished the first night down substantially from last year, with 295 Qs and 67
mults in the log for 39,530 points. Had to take a two-hour break around 0000z
Saturday, so missed the best of 40M. Sixteen mults is a lot to be missing after
the first night (last year, I only needed WY, AB, MB, NL, NT, SK after night
one).
Got going Sunday morning on 20M with a nice string of needed mults -- SFL WCF
ENY ONS NLI NNY QC RI MAR NL SC VT ME and a very lovely and surprisingly strong
EWA. Just needed NT and AB.
Combed through 15M and 20M several times with the passband wide open, listening
for any VE callsigns as I slowly tuned along. Suddennly, I heard a very loud
VY1AAA, begging for work. Landed him.
Alberta is always the toughest mult for me (right afer EWA) and I knew I was
unlikely to find one, at least during daylight.
After another a couple of hours patiently CQing with the beam aimed at VE6, I
gave up with two hours remaining. Watched election coverage on CNN (I'll miss
not having a political soap opera to binge-watch after Tuesday) and enjoyed
dinner. I was 10 minutes into this week's The Walking Dead when it occurred to
me that I might find a VE6 on 80M if I went back to the shack and did some
hunting. I'd kick myself later if I didn't at least try for the sweep.
Called CQ for a while, working mostly W7s. Tuned around and heard a solid
VE6BBP working someone. Slid up the band and found an empty slot and called CQ
(after a couple of patient QRLs -- something too many guys don't do). No VE6.
Tuned down the band again and saw he was working his way from top to bottom.
Parked two Khz south of his last known coordinates, called CQ and worked a
couple of W6 and W7 stations before I heard the sweet tones of VE6BBP in the
headphones.
That's a sweep! I hollered. Blackout Bingo.
If all the Qs hold up, at least. I worked multiples of most sections except NT
and AB.
Thanks to everyone for such a fun day. To the QRPers, special kudos for
grinding it out on packed bands.
73 and see the gang in CQWW CW (and maybe SS Phone in two weeks).
-- Bud VA7ST
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