ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB
Call: N2IC
Operator(s): N2IC
Station: N2IC
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: New Mexico
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 184
40: 772
20: 693
15: 485
10: 0
------------
Total: 2134 Sections = 80 Total Score = 341,440
Club:
Comments:
First Phone SS for me in about 15 years. For the previous 3 years, I had the
advantage of watching Bruce, AA5B, operate my station. As author of the QST/web
SS Phone writeup, I was also very familiar with the strategy and results of the
previous top finishers. With all this in mind, my plan was to do as well as
Bruce on Saturday night, and as well as Dan, W7WA, on Sunday. The strategy to
achieve this was to take most of my off-time in one lump, and to focus more on
20 meters during the day. The first part was easy - an 11 hour butt-in-chair
session, 5 hours off, and a 13 hour butt-in-chair session (I also took the last
hour off). Trying to put more emphasis on 20 meters was more difficult. 15 was
quiet (compared to 20), and had pretty good propagation (W1,2,3,4,8,sometimes
9). However, spending time on 15 meant having to go back to 20 and carve out a
frequency. That was really tough. And once I had a good 20 meter frequency, I
hated to give it up when the rate dropped and 15 seemed like a better choice.
I'm satisfied with how I did, but a little disappointed. The drop in solar flux
from 92 to 78 over a 4 day period really hurt the high bands. 10 never opened
(having opened every day during the previous week). The skip lengths on 15 and
20 were longer than they had been. Both bands dropped out to the east well
before local sunset. Even 40 became very long, pushing me down to 80. I made
far more QSO's on 80 than I expected, which is really not a good sign from
southwest NM. Also, activity seemed down. Despite pushing hard on the 2nd radio
for S&P QSO's, after the first 6 hours, my hourly rates were down significantly
from what I expected, and what Bruce had achieved in previous years.
Thanks for all the QSO's. It was great saying hi to many friends out there.
73,
Steve, N2IC
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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