ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: K4RO
Operator(s): K4RO
Station: K4RO
Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: TN
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 379
40: 279
20: 106
15: 81
10: 1
------------
Total: 846 Sections = 80 Total Score = 135,360
Club: Tennessee Contest Group
Comments:
I started contesting in 1994. This was my sixteenth year doing CW Sweepstakes,
and 15 of the 16 years were full time efforts. Here is a comparison over the
years of my efforts (claimed scores.)
1995 WR3O HP 24 919 x 76 139,688 Division Plaque (N6TR W5WMU winner)
1996 WR3O HP 24 1029 x 76 156,408
1997 K4RO HP 24 1031 x 79 162,898 First SO2R operation - 1st Sweep
1998 K4RO HP 24 955 x 78 148,512 Aggressive SO2R - score went down
1999 K4RO HP 24 1132 x 77 174,328 Missed VE1 and VE4
2000 K4RO HP 6 401 x 73 58,546 Part Time - K3CQ guest operated here
2001 K4RO HP 24 1208 x 80 193,280 PB HP Score
2002 K4RO QRP 24 766 x 79 121,028 First attempt at QRP
2003 K4RO QRP 24 771 x 77 118,734 Fourth place QRP. Conditions downhill.
2004 K4RO QRP 23 776 x 80 124,160 Overall Winner. First contest victory.
2005 K4RO QRP 24 726 x 79 114,708 Overall Winner.
2006 K4RO QRP 24 772 x 80 123,520 Second Place - lost to AG9A@N0NI
2007 K4RO QRP 24 790 x 80 126,400 Second Place - lost to N4OGW
2008 K4RO QRP 24 796 x 80 127,360 Overall Winner.
2009 K4RO QRP 24 818 x 80 130,880 Second Place - lost to N0KK@N0AT
2010 K4RO QRP 24 846 x 80 135,360 Second Place (?) - lost to K8MM (?)
The possibility of actually winning a contest is a strong motivator for me
to participate as intensely as possible. It's one of the main reasons that
I concentrate my most intense efforts in domestic contests. I've won QRP SS
three times, and come in second place 4 times now. Of course, nobody cares
or remembers these scores except me, and possibly my closest competitors.
Conditions were great this year, especially 80 meters the first night.
This score represents a personal best in the QRP category. I took even
more off time during daylight hours, and I think it helped the score.
I had some rig problems where the radio would blink off and then (usually)
blink back on. Apologies to K5KG and others who had to wait while I gently
tapped the power supply with a soft mallet to bring it back to life.
I was aware of the competition nipping at my heels, and was kept very
motivated by KR2Q, NN7SS and K8MM. In the end, Ian's lead kept getting
bigger and bigger, and I never could catch up. He seemed much better at
finding and holding prime run frequencies, while I was ping-ponging all
over the band maps. Congratulations on a great effort OM. It's humbling
to see how much I still have to learn.
One of the most memorable moments came when trying to complete a QSO with
K4EU on 15 meters. We just could not get the info across, despite several
retries. He suggested QSY to 7005 to complete the QSO. We did, and it worked!
I think that was the first time I've moved with a station in SS. W6XK was
the only new station I found on 10 meters, and that QSO was sandwiched
between two break times.
Thanks to all of the rare mults who get on to make this contest so special.
VA2DWQ was the last lone, and I'm sorry for sending "SWEEP SWEEP" and wasting
your time with my celebration. I was just very excited at that point. :-)
It was great to work all of the TCG gang and the Thursday night contest ops.
Thanks for the QSOs and the patience with my QRP signals.
I will be on very part time for SSB due to other obligations.
Then it's back on for the mighty CQWW CW. November is here!
73 Kirk K4RO
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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