ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB - 2019
Call: W4LT
Operator(s): W4LT
Station: W4DUG
Class: SO Unlimited LP
QTH: WCF
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 0
40: 929
20: 203
15: 7
10: 0
------------
Total: 1139 Sections = 83 Total Score = 189,074
Club: Florida Contest Group
Comments:
Rig: Icom IC7700 - Interfaced to MicroKeyer (Thanks to W4TV for the cable).
Antennas: EF240X @ 118ft, C31XR @ 108ft, C19X @ 70ft, XR5 @ 55ft Full Sloper @
90ft
Tampa ARC's facilities are really special, but the club is a general interest
club, and not a dedicated Contesting facility. But the antennas play really
well. The club had a hamfest that morning... Reconfigured the station after the
hamfest for SS... Took about an hour to swap things around.
You know, Murphy Does Loves Me! I checked my 80m antenna at 2pm. Nice low SWR in
the phone band after removing the CW band tuning wire extension (Thanks to N4WEB
for braving the wasp nest on the clubhouse roof eave to get to the end of the
sloper!). Tested all the gear. The rotors (2 RT-21's and a Rotor EZ equipped
Tail Twister) are interfaced at my operating position via pstRotor external
control. Everything worked fine. Took a short break.
We are ALL SET!
4pm local comes. Get on the radio. Decent signals and nice run started.
Attempted to move the XR5... THE ROTOR DOESNT RESPOND! whaaa? Left it set at 355
degrees, busy with running... Went to the C19x to see if the middle height
antenna worked better into Central ConUS… THE ROTOR DOESNT RESPOND! Damn!
Well, its set at 340 degrees, the hell with it, I have a decent run going. At
least the C31XR/EF240 tower is working and turning fine.
During my band change from 20 to 40, attempt to reset the two recalcitrant
rotors. The XR5's tail twister reconnects fine and now turns... The C19X's RT21
refuses to connect remotely, but moves fine locally. Screw it, make it the
PR/VI antenna! I turned it to 118 degrees and left it there for the duration.
On to 40. The EF240X simply rocks! I went to 40 early, because conditions on 20
degraded rapidly, and I'm happy I did, as I was fortunate to find a clear spot
down low in the band,7.131, in "Big Gun" territory! Right below me
was VY0TT, at the bottom of the band on .128, and surely, I probably got more
callers because of him. I sat there for HOURS, because I kept getting spotted...
This has NEVER happened to me on 40m! I pray to the Gods of Aluminum Protection
that NOTHING ever happens to that EF240! Its is BLESSED!
Later in the early morning, rates went down and I made my planned move to 80m.
The 80m antenna REFUSES TO LOAD! Turned on the tuner, THE TUNER WONT TUNE IT!
What the hell? Checked it all across 80... SWR is off the scale! What the hell
happened? Check all connections that I could check in the shack... Everything
looks good... Well, guess I wont have 80 this time!
Back to 40 then to at dawn. Even tried 15 and found it open to the west coast on
the C31XR, but no mults to be found there... Lucky me! At least two out of 3
rotors are working. Had everything logged except SFL by noon Sunday. Figured
now was the time to attempt to contact SFL on 40, since I had no 80m antenna to
work them overnight as usually happens. No SFL to be found on 40! Kept looking.
Found AA4CS in SFL on the cluster. Yay! But damn! He is barely there. He seems
to hear me, but he is buried in the band noise and I cant work him. Try for a
while, but no good, no QSO.
Tune around for an hour, find N1TO, although weak. Swing the big beam
southeast. He comes up a little bit. Call him... He had a pile, but I was
persistent and kept calling... He hears me! We work! SWEEP! Running out of
time, though. By my calculations, I'm 3 minutes short of 24hours. Computer
disagrees and says I'm 30 minutes over... I hope I'm right!
On Monday, when I returned to clean up the station, for grins, turn on the rotor
control computer and... all three rotors turn just fine.
Thanks to everybody for the points. And thank you Murphy, for the challenges.
Lu W4LT
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|