ARRL DX Contest, CW - 2021
Call: K3EW
Operator(s): K3EW
Station: K3EW
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: MD
Operating Time (hrs): 16
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80: 91 44
40: 145 60
20: 346 72
15: 68 26
10: 17 13
-------------------
Total: 667 215 Total Score = 429,570
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
Lot's of firsts for this contest
1) First ARRL DX CW Contest since I returned to air in 2013. Normally spend Feb
with family in Florida. COVID changed those plans.
2) First CW DX contest using N1MM+, my keyboard only, ESM shortcuts, Bandmap,
Available Multiplier and QSO windows. ( If you all recall that was this old
geezer's objective when I started to formally study N1MM+ manual in earnest in
November). Well it's not CW, but it sure is modern CW contesting.
3) First time worked consecutive all weekend contests ( SKCC Weekend Sprint and
now this one)in a Very long time. This only allowed all-out efforts for Friday
night, Saturday Morning after 9AM, and Sunday Morning after 9AM- Yes I know I
missed goodies on 40 around sunrise but caught South Pacific in the wee AM hours
and caught the JA opening on 20 Saturday early evening.
XYL had dibs on my time Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon and at various other
times. So real operating time was about 12 hours and intermittent operating
other times.
4. Now to propagation issues: Friday night on 40/80 were quite spectacular-
participation level was fabulous especially from EU. Saturday and Sunday morning
3-4 hour sessions produced much of my qso's on 20 meters. 40 went long to the
South Pacific both Fri and Sat very late night/early AM. The JA opening was
frustrating on Saturday night because it favored East Coast much after Midwest
were easily working them . Sunday , the propagation Gods were against us here on
the east coast- managed to work only one UA0- JA's never got above 239 level
here- Next year with a beam that problem shouldn't be a problem at this QTH.
5. Only regret is that I was so enamored with using the bandmap to pounce on
multipliers and new stations, that I forgot to Run-em. I am sure my scores would
have been better had I run some.
6. Thank you to Peter N4ZR, for helping diagnose my RFI/ N1MM+ problem that
cropped up again on Saturday. ONLY on 10 and 15 meters either the computer,
winkey, tv monitor or all three kept hiccupping and throwing N1MM+ into a crazy
mode where it thought I was transmitting and therefore the point and click
wouldn't work. Only by cold starting both the computer and N1MM+ did the problem
get alleviated. I have got to isolate the culprit and put some serious RFI
measures into practice. ( I have clip on cores on all of the cables- so that's
not solving the problem. )
Thank you to all those who encouraged me to get with the program and start using
N1MM+ to its fullest extent. I am sure I still have a lot yet to learn but feel
I am on my way toward efficient CW contesting.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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