ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: K7IA
Operator(s): K7IA
Station: K7IA
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: NM
Operating Time (hrs): 14
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 54
40: 95
20: 170
15: 213
10: 15
------------
Total: 547 Sections = 81 Total Score = 88,614
Club: Virden Contest Club
Comments:
Missed NT and PR for the Sweep.
SSCW makes me wonder (every year) why I continue to make the same mistakes.
The thing doesn't start until 3PM local time, and every year I do chores and
projects until 1445 local and begin operating in an already exhausted condition
plus/minus a headache. This year, the HA was a "plus," so with
concentration impaired, I started and continued with S&P, duplicating
another of my mistakes, spending too much time searching and copying stations
I've already worked.
I had only two objectives: bettering my 2013 score and getting a Sweep. Just
for fun, on Saturday AM I took a peek at last year's standings on the ARRL web
page and failed to find myself. Sure 'nuff, checking email Sent boxes proved
ARRL to be correct--I never submitted my log last year. One more down side of
2013--major forest fire within a handfull of miles from our QTN, multiple
journeys to Tucson for surgical procedures, and more. I had fun working the
2013 event (Sweep, too), but realizing the brain was scattered just before this
year's event was a real letdown.
By 1300 local Sunday and seven hours go go, I thought the only way to find NT
and PR was to slowly cruise 20m and up in the hopes of finding and snagging
them. Two laps on each band produced some 2 pointers, but the mult count
remained the same. I decided to finish up in run mode and simply have some
fun, but Grandpa Murphy had other ideas. In the midst of working W4EE at
2350Z, a loud crash of thunder was the only indication of a nearby T-storm
cell. Erin said it was overhead. So much for the predicted 10% chance of
"scattered thunderstorms likely." QRN had blotted out W4EE's s/n and
Pr and had continued to do so as he was repeating them for the third time. I
sent "SRI STORM QRT" and hurriedly unplugged all station cables.
That was the end of the event for me. My apologies for the lost QSO, Jim!
One bright spot: Sending endless CQ's to work a single caller every now and
then gave me time to consider seriously for the first time moving up to SO2R.
A little S&P on the side would provide something to do while the run radio
resembles a beacon.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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