ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
Call: K1TEO
Operator(s): K1TEO
Station: K1TEO
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: CT/FN31
Operating Time (hrs): 26
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 249 40
2: 363 41
222: 112 31
432: 158 33
903: 51 15
1.2: 55 18
2.3: 27 13
3.4: 18 11
5.7: 9 6
10G: 3 3
24G:
-------------------
Total: 1044 211 Total Score = 428,541
Club: North East Weak Signal Group
Comments:
Fun contest this time around. The relatively warm wx for January meant that
noise levels were reasonable which helps make the contest more enjoyable. Also,
activity seemed better than it has been for several years. My QSO total was the
highest in 7 years. While totals are a good deal lower than a decade or so ago,
it was nice to see an uptick after several years of a downward trend in this
contest. Interestingly, my sense is that a lot of the regulars were MIA, but
that gap was filled in by lots of new calls in the log. Great to see.
I had 108 QSos in the first hour which was a great start. Reached 500 QSOs by
0400z so one of my quickest starts ever. However, as has become a trend in
recent years, by local midnite activity had dropped off dramatically. Activity
was great again Sunday morning, with 4 straight hours of 40-50 qsos. Once the
football games started activity dropped off again, and rates never returned to
high levels. I also ran into equipment problems with about 6 hours to go as my
2M preamp died and then my 432 amp stopped working. Spent some time trying to
find the problems before wisely moving on. I managed to work most of the guys I
moved over to 432 even with low power. I was pretty deaf on 2M which was a bit
frustrating.
On the flip side, my grid totals on 6 and 2 were lower than they have been in
perhaps 15 years. One problem was that I didn't make a single contact on 2M
wsjt. I heard all but one station on my skeds but couldn't complete. 6M was a
little better but still below normal. 222 and 432 grids were down as well. Just
a few relatively local grids that I never found. Grid totals on 903 - 5.7 were
up however so that was great to see. My 10 ghz station developed a problem with
something pulling when I rotated to the SW so couldn't work anyone in that
direction.
Conditions seemed either below normal or about normal for wintertime on 50 -
144. However, condx on the microwaves seeemed depressed. Stations that were s9
on 432 would be very weak on 1.2 and unworkable on 2 and 3 ghz. That's not
typical here even in January. My grid totals are up mainly because of some
rover activity that filled in some of the otherwise unworkable grids.
As usual special tnx to the rovers for getting out there. And, to the Packrats
who did their usual great job of getting on with lot's of stations making
January a fun event here in the Northeast.
Jeff K1TEO
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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