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/
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