ARRL SWEEPSTAKES -- 1999
Call: W4MR (AA4NC operator) Section: NC (short for "No Contact")
Mode: CW Category: Single Operator
BAND QSO QSO PTS SECTIONS
160 0 0 -
80 129 258 -
40 505 1010 -
20 325 650 -
15 127 254 -
10 69 138 -
-----------------------------------
Totals 1159 2318 78
Score: 180,804
Power Output: 1463 watts Hours of operation: 23.983
Equipment Description:
Some radios and some antennas - nothing broke...
MY STORY (And I'm stickin' to it...)
Made the usual mistake of starting tired after tower climbing about 3 hours
before the contest. I worked on a TIC ring and put up a low "cloud warmer"
40m dipole @35' with a reflector at 3' off the ground. Turned out to be a
total waste. It was nowhere near the 2L/2L 40m stack (130'/70') at any
direction at any time. It did come in handy for creating telephone RFI...
Before the contest, I got on and worked a loud KP4 on 10. A good sign - PR
and VI should be "cake" multipliers - right? I then made the first of many
Homer Simpson like "duhs" by leaving the antenna switched to the south
multiplier tribander at 35'. I worked the first hour of the contest on 10 and
15 on the south antenna and wondered why everyone seemed so weak ! As you can
guess by my multiplier count, even though my antenna was pointed that way,
KP2N didn't call. I heard him call someone fairly early and made a mental
note that he was on. VY1JA was worked early, and unlike my usual late Sunday
frantic Yukon searches, I heard him everywhere. Went to bed lacking only VI
and VE4, 40 QSOs ahead of my personal best. It should have ended there.
Sunday was a "duh" all day long. Rate (what's rate?) was glacial, and
participation was so low that I had trouble finding anyone to work by S&Ping.
I used my time by asking for fills in order to stave off the dreaded UBN
audit. Since a seeming 97% of stations were QRP, I did this a lot when I
wasn't trying to figure out how to type Ms, Ss, and Us in the Prec. column.
VE4VV calls in for multiplier #78 - Thanks
Derek/Derick/Derak/Derrik/Derrick, ...
The KP2 mult. (or lack of it) saga deserves it's own paragraph. I heard KP2N
calling guys several times, but could never get in the right line. As most
everyone knows, he decided to call CQ on 15 on Sunday and became the belle of
the ball. Working split (by the time I found him), he was giving out low 100
numbers at (bless his heart) about 15 WPM. I wasted at least 30 minutes in
the mess that ensued. It was a pileup worthy of one of Romeo's (wink, wink,
nudge, nudge) P5 expeditions complete with police and jammers. My selfless
offer to "help out" by running a list was ignored - last two only... He
brought this cacaphony to an abrupt end by just going away. No QSY, QRT, QFU
or any other Q signals that I could discern. It was the absolute wildest
thing that I've ever heard in all my years of working SS - my check is 76. I
guess he either gave up or went back to calling random guys. I never heard
him again.
I'm sure the telephone pileup today was huge with everyone trying to book
WP2Z for SS next year!
Bottom line - this contest was a lot like work. Participation seemed down
despite the sunspots and good conditions. Maybe conditions will hang in for
phone. 10 and 15 are the only bands that make that contest worthwhile.
Club Affiliation: PVRC
This is to certify that in this contest I have operated my transmitter
within the amplifier limitations of my Italian license and have
observed fully the rules and regulations of the contest. I agree
to be bound and gagged by the contest committee should my
UBN percentages fall outside the normal Poisson distribution.
Signature Will Roberts
MAILING ADDRESS:
Will Roberts AA4NC
8104 Lawdraker Rd.
Apex, NC 27502-9137
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