ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB
Call: WT1A
Operator(s): WT1A
Station: WT1A
Class: SO Unlimited LP
QTH: ME
Operating Time (hrs): 23.5
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 390
40: 84
20: 77
15: 103
10: 157
------------
Total: 811 Sections = 83 Total Score = 134,626
Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club
Comments:
It's been a year since I got back on the air and decided to get back into
contesting. What a difference a year makes!
Last year I operated SS with just two antennas: an 80 m flat top and 40 m
sloper. I had nothing that would resonate on 20m at all, I used the sloper on
15 and the 80 dipole with the radio's tuner for everything else. I had a grand
total of 2 contacts on 20m. I was just learning about my FTDX-3000 along with
N1MM software and the idea of “assisted” was something quite new to me. I
struggled with the exchange, too; I hadn’t operated in a contest for 10
years.
Well, a year later and much more in tune (please pardon my pun) with my
equipment, the software and even the contest itself, I think I put in a pretty
reasonable effort. Still running all wires but with the addition of the
multiband Windom at least now I have something that will tune on all the HF
bands.
Conditions from the northeast I thought were fairly reasonable. Ten wasn’t
quite as open as it was Sunday morning during CQWW but then again we weren’t
hunting DX. 80m turned out to be my bread and butter but that was part of the
plan after having a year to learn the strengths and weaknesses of my station.
Come Sunday afternoon I was a little concerned that I would not get the clean
sweep as I did last year so I decided to go hunting for PAC and NT, my last two
sections. It turns out that I became proof of the old adage “Let them come to
you” when, after spending 20 minutes each calling KH7Y and VE8EV to complete
the sweep, I went back to running on 15 only to have VE8GER call me within 10
minutes. Figures!
All in all I feel I’ve gotten a better understanding of what it means to be a
little fish in a big pond �" trying to hold a frequency, finding patience
and timing when calling in a pile-up, not being reluctant to ask for fills and
when to just let things go. I forced myself to run more than I have in any
contest in the past and it paid off. I met and surpassed all the goals I set
for myself, so I come away happy about that and wiser for the experience.
Thanks to everyone who called me and congratulations to those who met their
goals.
73,
Tim, WT1A
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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