NAQP CW Results (The wires are improving!)

[ramirezk at emi.com]

    Hola Amigos!   
     I decided to enter the NAQP CW contest at the very last 
minute. At least I now know that I can focus and get "into" a 
contest mindset without having to think about it for a few days 
before the actual event. I had one goal in mind this time 
around. I wanted to beat my score from last year.
                 I have spent the last months working on 
improving my wire antenna farm.I've been paying particular 
attention to improving my "domestic" contest signal. One of my 
big problems from last year was my 40m antenna. It was a ground 
mounted vertical which performed quite poorly. The 40m NUKer I 
now have up at 40 feet continues to work great in the 
"domestics".
              Another improvement is a new array of 4 2wl long 
wires on 20m at 47 feet configured with remote switching as 4 
long wire Vees that can be switched to the NE,SE,SW,and NW. 
These same antennas are also used on 160 meters as 2 half 
slopers fed 1/32nd wl out of phase. The 80m antenna remained the 
same; an inverted vee at 47 feet. I also used the 40m NUKer on 
15 meters compared to last years 40m vertical. I have no 
antennas for 10 meters.
          The Contest.
          One big difference this year compared to last year's 
contest was the lack of runs. I could not get a good run going 
no matter what band I was on. I don't think conditions were as 
good as last year's. I distinctly remember a few 100 plus hours 
on 80 meters last year. This year all attempts at runs were 
futile. I spent the low band portion of the contest switching 
often between 40 and 80 and then 80 and 160. Maybe it was the 
conditions. Maybe it is declining CW participation. Or maybe it 
was my KP4XS call last year ;). 
                I also did some band passing this year which I 
had not done much of last year. I was surprised at the 
percentage of passes that were successful. In fact, I remember 
only two attempts that were not successful. I had hastily 
planned my half hour breaks in the minutes prior to the contest 
but it all came to ruin when I QSYed to 80 meters and found a 
very high VSWR. In my rush to get ready for my last minute 
contest entry I had forgotten to add the extra wire length to 
the 75m vee. I had to take an unplanned half hour break and work 
out in the cold, dark night to add those %#$@* extensions.It 
didn't seem to matter in the overall scheme of things.
                 The biggest difference this year was the extra 
qsos and mults on 15 and 20 meters. It was nice to hear lots of 
signals on 20 meters from places other than w6 and w7!. The 
biggest surprise was being called by a /KH6 on 40 meters!
         The results- Last year I wound up with 557 x 141 for a 
score of 78,537.  This year's score was quite an improvement!
             609 x 169 for a score of 102,921. All goals met!
 The breakdown-
        10m-0
        15m-36/18
        20m-74/33
        40m-235/46
        80m-180/42
        160m-84/30 
           
         Thanks for all the Qs! It was nice to hear all the new 
2 letter state abbreviation calls that actually were in that 
state. The vanity program has created a nice "adjustment" to the 
geographic callsign designator distribution. 
  Equipment- Icom IC-740. 75-90 watts out depending on the band 
I'm on. The biggest improvement to the station other than the 
antennas? My KAY 432D - 0-101 DB switchable attenuator. I no 
longer get the contest headaches I had become accustomed to.
Next year? A NUKer for 80 meters and a 10m antenna!
 73 Ken N4UK 
1.8-1296 MHZ 
Cabo Rojo Contest Club-WP4NMS Soon to be WP3X!
Grid Pirates VHF Group
Grid Square-EM84xp


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