ARRL DX Contest, SSB
Call: N4TZ/9
Operator(s): N4TZ
Station: N4TZ/9
Class: SOAB LP
QTH: North Am
Operating Time (hrs): 41.5
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 12 11
80: 54 37
40: 100 51
20: 247 77
15: 247 76
10: 695 92
-------------------
Total: 1355 344 Total Score = 1,398,360
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
QTH=INDIANA
Conditions were too good - they kept all of the competitors
in their chairs! Before the contest, based on last year's
scores, fixing the rotor problems I had last year, and my
determination to "stay in the chair," I estimated that I might
be able to make 1.5 meg. A few minor problems cropped up
that kept me from making my goal, but overall I felt pretty
good about myself. Maybe this will make the LP top ten.
Shortly after the contest began, the electrical service
dropped out three times, not long enough to cause the
computer to reboot, but long enough to cause one rig to
turn itself off and the other needing to be recycled
before it would receive again.
As noted by others, the precipitation noise was pretty
high Friday night. The two beverages I installed before
the ARRL CW weekend made 160 more pleasurable, but I
found the four square more flexible on 80m. However,
using the 4 square to receive led to a major operator
snafu - I had the 20dB attenuator on the second radio
when I worked the JA at sunrise Sunday morning. Because
it was the second radio, I forgot to turn the pad off.
I didn't discover it was on until 1930z. No wonder
so many of those 10 meter stations seemed so weak!
I worked fewer stations and multipliers the second 24
hours than I did last year; maybe that was part of
the problem. My multiplier total is about as good as
any LP station reporting on 3830 so far.
I had a couple of TRLOG-related problems. I'm not sure
whether the problems were operator induced. One resulted
in my losing the use of the second radio for about two hours.
I had arranged for 6Y8Z to work me on 20 meters on the
second radio, but when I switched to the second radio
it wouldn't transmit! I was sick. I spent a fair
amount of time and couldn't find anything obviously
wrong. I spent the next two hours aimlessly tuning
with the one remaining radio worrying how I was
going to explain to the wife about blowing up an
OMNI VI+. [It at least needs some trade in value
on the forthcoming ORION] Finally, at 2300z I
noticed that the radio was in the CW mode! This
enlightment came as a result of the second TRLOG
problem: the bandmap was flashing on and off, on
and off, ... I never figured out the cause of
the flashing, but it did cause me to notice the
mode was CW on the right radio.
Some of you commented on my use of a folding metal
chair. I was not about to spend a kilobuck on a
chair, but did go to Staples, Office Depot, and
Office Max. The so-called ergonomic chairs didn't
seem very comfortable, but I did spring for a $250
Samsonite leather Manager's chair which fit me sort
of like a car seat. It has a high back and was
much more comfortable during the contest. Maybe
too comfortable because a couple of times Saturday
night, when I closed my eyes and leaned my head
back into the headrest to concentrate on a
weak signal I had to shake myself back awake.
The rate sheet created by TRLOG shows 41.5 hours
of operating time. I slept 3 hours Sunday morning,
and there were "break" times for checking on the
rig, fixing myself snacks, etc.
Was it just me or were there a lot more multi-op
stateside stations this year? It was very hard
for a low power guy to find a hole to even try
to CQ on. According to the DL4YAO post on CQ-Contest,
I am two S-units below loud.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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