ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: KT8K
Operator(s): KT8K
Station: KT8K
Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: EN82cg SE Lower Mich
Operating Time (hrs): 17:45
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 105
40: 195
20: 167
15: 23
10: 20
------------
Total: 510 Sections = 77 Total Score = 78,540
Club: Mad River Radio Club
Comments:
Great conditions for my QRP signal to be heard - nice and quiet - but the QRM
was often hard to get through. Some of my QRP competitors (probably those with
towers and big aluminum) were whipping me and my wires in the trees by up to 100
Q's when I worked them, but I'm hoping they pushed hard early and were running
out of time. I'll be happy to make the top 20 QRP ... especially since a
social commitment held me to under 18 hours on the air.
I did get a personal best of 4 runs > 10 Q's - a first! All were with rates
between 30 and 48 Q's/hour (a 48 hour Sat night was my best). I did so well
early on that I was having trouble finding stations to work until the "fresh
meat" stations showed up Sunday afternoon and evening.
I never heard LAX (go figure) or NT, and failed to snag the one MB station I
heard several times - always with a pileup (thanks to the spotting networks).
Overall, though, this upheld my regard for SS CW as one of my favorite contests
of all in spite of the much tougher competition. I hope to do well again (as I
did last year) in the SSB version in a couple of weeks, and hope most folks
will eschew running QRP SSB in favor of higher power levels.
In the meantime, I find myself still aching for a big tower
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNWZjzrzgwA) and wondering if someday I could
wangle a guest op invitation somewhere not too far away from home. It would be
big fun to actually have some directional antennas with GAIN to call on with my
QRP power level. If I ever get that big tower my competitors had better Look
Out!
Thanks to all who hung in there for a few repeats to dig my signal out of the
QRM/QSB. It was sad that a few just blew me off after one attempt and wasted
my and their time, but ... contesting skill levels vary as well as
temperaments.
Happy to have worked many familiar calls again this time. Best reception to
all and C U in the next one! 73 - Tim, KT8K
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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