ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: KR2Q
Operator(s): KR2Q
Station: KR2Q
Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: NNJ FN20ru
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 285
40: 235
20: 127
15: 89
10: 1
------------
Total: 737 Sections = 79 Total Score = 116,446
Club:
Comments:
In the Tuesday before the CQWW SSB, W2GD stopped by to restore my 40m beam and
prevent it from breaking in half over the winter (both struts failed). It had
also slid down the mast a bit (closer to the triband yagi). Also in the week,
in fact, 2 days before CQWW, the tree guys stopped by and removed a ton of
intervening branches from around both towers. Now my stuff could actually
rotate.
I never planned to do the SS full time, but got caught up with it. And seeing
how I have to be in Manhattan at 5am-ish for work (my choice) and seeing how
that means I have to wake up at 3:15am every weekday, and seeing how that means
I go to bed at 8pm local time (0100z after the Sunday AM clock change), I was
going to end this one "early." So to get in 24 hours, I had to select clearly
less than optimal times (like excluding the last 2 hours of the contest, when
activity seems to increase compared to Sunday afternoon). Oh well.
My SS background (if you care): I have never been much for domestic contests
(what do you expect from someone living on the "East Coast?"). In 2004 I
submitted a very part time effort log for the SS. I'm not sure why; maybe
because there was a QRP section. Anyhow, I was super surprised to find a
plaque at my door step the following year. I was very embarrassed by this; I
think I had 83 Qs. So the next year, I felt guilty and joined in again. It was
far from a full-fledged effort, but a lot more than 83 Qs. And since then, I
have "felt an obligation" to make up for getting that plaque and put in some
sort of effort, but never 24 hours.
Every time the SS results come out, I do real well for QRP NNJ section (LOL)
but pretty poorly nationally. And that's both because of the infamous "can't
win from here" mentality that us East Coast guys hear, but mostly because I
just haven't put in a full time, serious effort...until now.
It was interesting, to say the least. Previously, I always did 100% S+P. This
year, I did S+P for the first 1 hour and 51 minutes...and then I tried to run.
And run I did! You sure can't do this QRP in the CQWW from NJ!!!
I was doing well...really well. I couldn't believe how many answers I got.
Hmmm....pretty neat. Maybe...just maybe I could do well overall. The
competition bug hit me. At 0700z I worked K4RO/qrp and found that he was 95 Qs
ahead of me. UGH. Well, I could still do "well" (whatever that would now
mean).
Throughout the SS, I heard or worked other QRPers with very nice scores...all
within striking distance. I heard K4RO a couple more times, but only when he
was sending his call as part of the exchange (meaning that I missed his
number). Knowing him, it only got "worse" for me and better for him. I'm OK
with that...
A big shock in the SS for me was finding VY1. Gosh...he had a massive pileup.
I happen to have an OUTSTANDING qth to the NW (usually, I say for JA, which is
big deal here in NJ). I can work JAs with QRP better than others can with HP.
So I figured that since I'm good to KL7 also, maybe I had a shot. I called him
a couple times, always trying to wait for a hole in the pileup. There weren't
many "holes." I was giving up for now. So with my right hand, I start to
write down VY1EI and his QRG, so I can "come back later" when the pileup dies
down (yeah, sure). And as I'm writing, he comes back to me! WOW. I was
totally blown away. I'll never know how that happened...I guess that I
successfully sneaked into one of the holes...or that my QTH really is that good
to the "NW." I had never before heard VY1 in the SS, so this was pretty nice!
In the end, no sweep; I missed (never heard) NL. Oh well. There are worse
things in life.
Don't look for me on PHONE. I'll be doing antenna work (wires for the low
bands) for THE contest: CQWW CW. Maybe I'll give out a hundred SS Qs on SSB.
I'm really rusty on SSB...I almost forget the phone!
And as so many others have commented..it is just GREAT to run into so many long
time friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. Really nice stuff!
Rig: Elecraft K3/10 (SO1R)
Tower 1: 2L HB quad @ 55' (usually pointed "south" for the SS)
Tower 2: OB11-3 tribander at 73' with a 402 not far above that (usually point
WEST for the SS).
80: plain old inverted V with the center around 55'
CT running on a DOS machine (really!)
Thanks to everyone for the really fun ride!
de Doug KR2Q
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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