ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: W5KFT
Operator(s): K5PI
Station: W5KFT
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: STX
Operating Time (hrs): 21
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 124
40: 765
20: 320
15: 79
10: 0
------------
Total: 1288 Sections = 80 Total Score = 206,080
Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club
Comments:
I'd hoped to make the top ten this year, but it wasn't in the cards.
Conditions on Saturday caught me off guard. I couldn't seem to make any hay on
20 during the first hour. And 15 wasn't working either. Finally, during the
second hour I started poking around on 40 and found a crowd there.
Conditions on 40 were great all evening. I got some really nice run
frequencies and the band seemed really quiet. I had some long stretches where
almost every CQ was answered and I had to ask for very few fills.
I kept at it until about 2:30AM local time Saturday night then took 2.5 hours
off. I'd hoped to sleep, but didn't really get much.
Of course, Sunday Sweepstakes is a whole other contest with much slower rates.
I think I did okay, but didn't feel my best without any real rest.
In the middle of the day, 15 started to fill up and I started getting more
answers there than on 20 from my ping-pong CQs.
About 4PM a loud thunder clap made me almost jump out of my seat. The power
blinked off for a second not long after. The rate was sagging so I took a
break. A few minutes later the rain was coming down in sheets, and I started
feeling achy and really run down. I went back and forth for the next half hour
and finally decided to throw in the towel. Even though I was disappointed not
to finish, I think I made the right choice. The two mile dirt road was pretty
soupy for my car, and it rained hard all the way home.
I got home and slept like a rock for 12 hours and was able to work today.
Next year, I'll rest up in advance and plan to take Monday off :-)
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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