ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB - 2020
Call: VE4GV
Operator(s): VE4GV
Station: VE4GV
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: MB
Operating Time (hrs): 16.5
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 10
40: 424
20: 899
15: 4
10:
------------
Total: 1337 Sections = 79 Total Score = 211,246
Club: Radiosport Manitoba
Comments:
Have I told You Lately how much I HATE 40 m?
Getting ready for another sweepstakes phone contest. Conditions have been so
poor lately in mid Canada that it looked like it was going to be another
slugfest on 20 meters. Flux numbers are simply insufficient to have 15 meters
open consistently and opening with or moving to 15 only risks slowing your rates
, especially at the beginning of the contest. SS is traditionally one of my
favorite contests and the lack of VE 4 multiplier makes us quite popular up
here. Frankly if we're going to live in this god forsaken frozen central part of
Canada, there has to be some sort of award for putting up with the long cold
winters. That is SS and the 10 m contest, when conditions are good. Manitoba
is probably the worst location in the world for DX contests and rivals that of
deep Russia for its lack of distance to multipliers. (My friend Gord VE6SV might
disagree.) Crappy propagation and proximity to the magnetic North Pole make it
especially challenging. When the sun farts, we generally smell the stink long
before anybody else.
The 2020 sweepstakes SSB contest would be no different. My biggest concern was
which category in which to participate. In years past (1980s-2000s), I had done
pretty well in the low power category . Back then I was actually forced into
lower power contesting because of restrictions placed on my license in years
past. (Exciter only) There were always problems with RFI and uncooperative
neighbors. After several decades, the troublemakers moved away. More recently,
feed line replacement and moving to a different amplifier seem to have solved
the problem and I have not had any complaints even after more than 24 hours of
heavy contesting on the low bands. I'm not sure whether it's the move from
analog to digital equipment or the replacement of the feedlines . Regardless,
I'm very happy that I now can now use high power without that knock on the door
or the telephone call.
There hadn't been a lot of serious contesting in sweepstakes from Manitoba for
about 20 years, at least not really competitive. VE4VV Derek (SK) was always
kind enough to let me have my choice of the phone categories during sweeps
because he preferred CW. More recently, our contest club Radiosport Manitoba has
encouraged our members to get on for sweepstakes and provide the Manitoba
multiplier. So, I’m not as “rare” as I used to be. At the time SS
started, I did not know that VY2ZM was vacant and would not be competing due to
the Covid problem.
This year I decided to enter sweepstakes phone in the high power assisted
category, running with the big dogs. Looking at the solar flux numbers, it
seemed that the K and A indices were rising, which is never good news for us in
the northern latitudes. 10 m is completely shut down and I was pretty convinced
that 15 would be a nonfactor from up here. That left the traditional 20-meter
slugfest and the dreaded move to 40 meters. A quick listen on 80 meters revealed
my worst fear, I had S 9 plus noise level. Horrible. My Mag Loop receive antenna
wasn’t much better. It pretty much rendered the band useless with the
exception of close , strong stations. That meant I better make hay on 20 and
(ugh) 40 if I was expecting to do well. Most often, that meant a 1000 QSO
20-meter effort with hoping to get a run freq on 40 and catching a 15-meter
opening which allowed for less crowding and less noisy band condx.
The first 3 hours were decent on 20 meters with rates of 144, 121 and 123. As
the sun set, I dreaded the inevitable move 2 40 meters and tried to delay it as
long as possible. Eventually the 20-meter band faded, and I was forced on to 40.
It's always noisy, difficult on the ears and never fun. My rates plummeted to 77
then 55 At which time, at about 0300, I decided to take a break. This is
something that you should NEVER do at the beginning of SS, but I could see the
writing on the wall after a 20 QSO hour at 0300. I made a token effort over the
next couple hours, but things were horrible, and I only managed 17 Contacts over
the next 2 hours.
Having had a decent amount of sleep, I woke to find got 40 meters was fairly
quiet and preceded to have a nice 97 hour at 1400 Zulu. Rates then slowed to 37
at 1700 Z and (unbelievably), I decided to have a nap 1t 1800z to 1900Z. Halfway
through the next hour, I moved to 20 meters and managed runs of approximately 70
until the 2000 Zulu with runs of 95 and then 89…better. I went back to 40
meters at the 2300Z hour and pretty much threw in the towel at 0000Z . Total
hours 16.5.
Frankly it was a bit deflating listening to my radio sport Manitoba partner
VE4VT who had a better score than me even though he was running a low power. It
supports my theory that if you “act big” that extra S unit or so of signal
strength probably doesn't mean that much in sweepstakes. I'm considering going
back to low power next year when conditions hopefully will get better.
I never did here VE8 or NT from here. One VE9 called me for the maritime
multiplier. I never heard Newfoundland either. Tom VE3CX is always there for my
only Ontario North multiplier, bless him. Once again, the lack of activity on 80
meters cost me as I missed both North and South Dakota's multipliers . (Argh). I
can't recall a sweepstakes in which my multiplier total was so low , even when
running unassisted . The bands seemed very watery on Sunday with lots of QSB.
I learned a couple of things from this year's SS SSB:
#1…… living 40 feet from pole mounted power Transformers is never a good
thing . My overhead power lines, cable TV lines and telephone lines contribute
to a noise level that's intolerable, even with the presence of a magnetic loop
receive antenna . it makes me value my trips to VE6SV even more because of the
remarkable quiet listening conditions that Gord has at his station. I can’t
heat shit!! Unfortunately, Covid prevented me from going to VE6SV again this
year.
#2…….I believe scientists have discovered the shortest interval of time ever
measured by man. it apparently is defined as “the time between someone on
frequency asking, “is this frequency and use?” and the moment the same
person starts calling CQ on that frequency."
#3. …….Scientists also have discovered the longest interval of time. It may
not be a true measurement of time, but it is definitely a perceived interval.
You could measure that time interval yourself.
All you have to do is have a decent run frequency and have a station call you.
You identify their call and you wait……… watching your run frequency
disappear as the station you called, achingly, slowly, deliberately fumbles
through the exchange…all the while you are thinking “Hurry up, dammit! I’m
losing my freq!!!!!.” Its especially bad with the long SS exchanges when
you're running LP.
The only thing that comes close to this is sweepstakes on 10 meters at the top
pf the cycle…… with the novices on Sunday afternoon. Having never heard a
VE4 before, they will first ask me what is my location? Not wanting to lose the
QSO points, I patiently guide them slowly through the sweepstakes exchange in
order to get the QSO points.
The conversation goes something like this:
VE4GV: Am I the first contact for you in the contest?
Station: I think so, I'm not sure . I’m not in the contest, 73.
Me: Wait! Wait! that's OK , we will call you number one. What is your power? Now
how many Watts are you running?
Station: I don't know , let me check my wattmeter .
Heeeeeelllllllllllloooooooooello Heeeelllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooo,
whistle, whistle…… I think it's about 100 Watts.
Me: OK will call you precedent Alpha
Station: President who?
Me: Never mind that. Are you connected to a packet spotting network?
Station: I don't know what that is. Does FT8 count?
Me: OK, we will call you unassisted
Station: But my wife is in the next room and she helps me sometimes.
Me: That’s not important. Now, can you tell me when you were licensed ? What
year did you get your ticket?
Station: I don't remember. Let me check.
Can you hang on for a few minutes while I look? I had it here somewhere. [ cue
the sound of drawers opening and closing, Books being moved, papers being
shuffled and me pulling my hair out while I wait. ] Let me think. Honey!!!?
(yelling to his wife) Do you remember where I put those important papers?
Me: Never mind, all I need is a year …………just any year will do.
(Sheesh)
Can’t wait for 10m to open up here.
In the meantime, I’ll hope to work more than a dozen stations in this year’s
ARRL 10 M test…which will be a huge improvement over last year’s 120 Pt.
SO HP CW 6 QSO total.
Back in the late 80s I recall making over 2000 Qs on 10 alone. (Sigh)
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