ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB
Call: KB9OWD
Operator(s): KB9OWD
Station: KB9OWD
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: WI
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 115
40: 517
20: 415
15: 17
10: 136
------------
Total: 1200 Sections = 80 Total Score = 192,000
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
This again marks my best outing in this one so far (previous best 917Q for
148K). My usual QTH for sweepstakes W9BCV was not available as Duane had moved
during the offseason. Further, sadly, W9BCV became a SK a few weeks ago. He
was a member of our local club for nearly 80 years since it began. He was a
great contest mentor to me over the years and will be missed by many!
With no major plans, I threw up a G5RV a little higher than it normally is,
with the peak at about 30 feet. I also threw up a 10 meter dipole Friday
afternoon figuring 10 my be a flurry of west coast activity. Noting the
limited antennas and LP, I didn't have big things in mind. I hoped for a
sweep!
I got lucky in the first half hour and had a VE8 call me on 10 as well as
several KL7 and KH6. I also snagged all of the 6 and 7 land mults in the first
2 hours!
The weekend was marked by a few lucky moments, a few of which likely bagged me
the sweep. On Saturday evening I was on 80 running and had basically run it
out. I found K8PO in the 2nd VFO for a mult on 40 and decided to slide up the
band to run. As I passed around 7195 I found a huge pile. I figured it was
NWT and after having a listen, I found it to be NP4Z. Thankfully, I got there
about 5 minutes before he went split so I knew what was up. It took 15 minutes
or so until things fizzled out a bit but I got thru for the mult. The only PR I
heard all weekend. I also popped up to 20 after a bit and found KP2M and then
heard a strong short skip VE4EAR way up on 14.312 for another mult!
I worked straight through until 0800Z. About midnight local, I started to get
a major sore throat. I had no voice keyer this weekend and literally talked
the whole 24 hours. I figured this was the reason for a sore throat, but
little did I know Sunday would bring a full fledged head cold. I went to bed
Saturday evening needing MAR, NL and QC.
I got back on at 1200Z and went straight thru 13 hours until I was out of time.
I literally got up for 30 seconds 2 times to use the facilities, otherwise I
didn't move all day. As the day went on, a sore throat turned into being all
plugged up, sneezing and coughing etc etc. By the end, I was in long sleeves,
long pants and wrapped in a blanket with the chills. Great stuff!
I found MAR early on Sunday on 20 cqing and was down to 2. I was running
around 14.308 and asking folks about my last 2. A guy told me a VO1 was up on
14.333 area. I ran up there and lost my frequency but after about 10 minutes
was down to 1. I went to 40 and ran a bit since I lost my frequency and had a
good run about 1400Z. I was asking most about QC and most had worked one or
more and I was a bit worried I hadn't even heard 1.
At 1500Z I went back to 14.316 and had a great run for 5 hours. My LP signal
held 14.316 for 5 hours with little to no noise on the sides. It helps having
15 and 10 open and lots of folks there. I ran for 5 hours with rates of 60 to
70 an hour, with the last 10 over 250 at times. In this stretch, a VE2 called
in, then another, then another and next thing I knew I had about double digit
VE2's. All that worry for nothing.
About 2000Z as folks started to head back to 20, my frequency folded up and I
went to 10. Didn't seem as good as Saturday and I picked off a few. I then
made a sweep of all bands, working anything new and killed 45 minutes.
At the end, I headed back to 40 and planted down on about 7.273 about 23Z. I
had instant rate and ran a 91 hour at 23Z on Sunday, wow!
So, I came in expecting little and put together strings of great runs and
hours. It just seemed like a never ending string of callers on 20 and 40.
Coming into Sunday morning, I had single digit Q totals on 20!!! Had the rate
not been like it was, I would have pulled the plug early as I felt horrible and
it got worse as the day went on. As the rates kept coming, I started thinking
that central division LP may be within reach and that kept me going.
Thanks to everyone for all the qso's. My apologies if I sneezed or coughed in
your ear. I tried to hit the VOX when I felt it coming on, but didn't always
win that race!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
73,
Ryan KB9OWD
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