North American QSO Party, SSB
Call: AA4LR
Operator(s): AA4LR
Station: AA4LR
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: GA
Operating Time (hrs): 10
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 16 10
80: 63 24
40: 277 48
20: 195 44
15: 47 12
10: 2 24
-------------------
Total: 600 140 Total Score = 84,000
Club: South East Contest Club
Team: SECC #1
Comments:
Antennas:
A3S/A743 at 15m (40-10m)
Shunt-fed 15m tower (80-160m)
R7000 at 2.5m (40-10m) (second rig)
Equipment:
Elecraft K2/100 w/KAT100 running 100 watts
Kenwood TS-430S / AT-250
Heil BM-10
Comments:
With my wife working all day at the hospital, I got the green light
to take this effort full-time. I had hoped to post a good score, but
didn't realise I would set a personal best for a summertime NAQP.
Contest started with absolutely nothing on 10m. Managed to work one
local, and that was it. Fared much better on 15m, with a pretty good
run, but felt like I was working the CQP with all the CA stations.
With 15m already long, dropped down to 20m at 1845z. Although it felt
really early to be on 20m, the band was just right, and had my best
hour at 19z with 79 Qs. Flipped between 15, 20 and 40m through the 20
and 21z hours, with slowly diminishing rates.
At 2145z, I took my first off-time. Cooked the kids some hot-dogs on
the grill, back on the air 40 minutes later. Usually, I would have
taken an off-time earlier, sticking with the W4AN philosophy that you
should avoid off-time in the critical 4-11 window. However, the rates
were so good in the first four hours, I couldn't bring myself to stop.
At this point, I had thought that 20m would be the money band, and
I'd end up with a score around 400 Qs or so. But in the 00z hour, 40m
took off. I managed to run in three different areas of 40m, and it
became the serious money band. I used the second radio to scan 80m,
but didn't hear much activity there, so I kept running. I finally
went to 80m at 0200z, figuring I need to find some mults there to
round out the score.
Rates weren't good there, so I went back to 40m for another good half-
hour, and finally settled for 80m and 160m after 0300z. Noise levels
were very high, and I had trouble being heard. On one funny instance,
I was calling CQ and had my frequency "stolen" by N4GG. I was calling
CQ, and not getting answers, and Hal shows up and calls CQ. I shift a
few hundred hertz and call him. It takes several tries, but I finally
got through. It was pretty obvious Hal couldn't hear me very well.
Since I wasn't getting out, I moved on. If I can't be heard in my own
state on 80m, what I am doing calling CQ?
Had a few funny moments. High on 15m, I found W7ASC calling a general
CQ for a demo, so I answered. John gave me the exchange, and ask if I
would talk a minute to a young fellow. I had a brief contact with
Nathaniel, age 7 years. Frankly, Nathaniel wasn't much of a talker,
but it made my day.
Ran into W6FB, Jack on the air. Jack and I have known each other for
about 20 years, from back when he was in Atlanta. We figure it is the
first time we've actually made contact on the air.
K9DBV called me on 40m, gave me the exchange and then made a very
polite request if I would mind him calling a net about 500 Hz higher
and them moving them to another frequency. I said sure, and stood by
for the minute it took him to make a few calls. Turns out the guys
for the net didn't show up, but Terry was thankful.
XE1KK, Ramon was EVERYWHERE. I worked on 10-40m, and I also heard him
on 80m while S & P.
Ran SO2R, but I don't think I ran the second radio that hard,
especially in the second half. R7000 isn't a great antenna, but it
was good enough to spot some of the stronger multipliers.
In short, a great time!
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/
3830score/
Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
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