[3830] VE4GV SS CW (long)

[Robert Kaufmann]

                        ARRL SWEEPSTAKES -- 1998


      Call: VE4GV                    Exchange: +ACM- A VE4GV 72 MB
      Mode: CW                       Category: Single Operator Low Power

      BAND     QSO    QSO PTS   SECTIONS


      160        0        0        -
       80       16       32        -
       40      211      422        -
       20      487      974        -
       15       71      142        -
       10       10       20        -
     -----------------------------------

     Totals    795     1590       78

               Score:  124,020


Power Output: 150 watts     Hours of operation: 17.5

Equipment Description:
FT 1000D
KT34XA +AEA- 66 feet
40-2CD +AEA- 73 feet
Inv Vee

Moan and Bitch Dept :

My apologies for the conditions on Saturday. There were two reasons for
that:
1. Snow had not yet fallen in VE4 land and we all know that is NOT a good
signfor SS propagation. ( No snow in November +ACE- What is this ? SFL ??)
2. Without the snow it was impossible to do the required VE4 Naked Tower
Dance which is necessary to guarantee good SS propagation. It just doesn't
work without snow on the ground.

Fear not fellow SSers. As of two days go we have a nice blanket of chilly,
sleety,slippery, rotator stopping snow/ice. I have no doubt that something
up the tower will break before Phone weekend. Murphy having been
satisfied, that should make SS SSB propagation much better. VE4 antenna
repairs always work better in Nov.anyway.

The Autopsy:

21:00 Start-
Uh oh, something is not right. The band sounds awful. We all know its best
to start on the highest open band, but up here its tough to tell what that
is. I try a little higher than I want to on 15 m. First hour rate 56. Not
good. Can't find a run freq.

I'm all over the place trying to find a run frequency. None of the bands
seem very good, 15,20, 40. Listen on 10 for the Caribbean/pac mults.
2nd hour rate drops to 45 as I bounce around desperately trying to find
a +ACI-good+ACI- frequency. Go to 40 at around 23:00 and find signals watery.
Signals sound like they're coming over the pole, unfortunately without the
+ACI-choy cha choy choy+ACI- Russian signature. Not a good sign. Many repeats.
Utter frustration. Damn it, what is going on ? +ACEAIQ-
Check WWV and find A and K thru the roof. Murphy, you've got a cold heart.

I remember that Derrick VE4VV has gone to WI (W0AIH), Kelly VE4XT is nowhere
to be found and Ed VE4YU is only a casual contest operator. I'm the lone VE4
in this contest +ACE- How come I can't run ?? I decide to shut off, take my 5 yr
old daughter for dinner, clear my head for an hour or so and then come back.
Return for 02:00 - 04:00 with rates below 50. This really sucks.

40 and 80 are just too noisy and had too much QSB. Maybe 15 and 20 will
provide better rates tomorrow. Oh boy +ACE- another 20m LP slugfest.  I decide
to get a good night's sleep and concentrate on trying to give a sweep to as
many people as possible on Sunday.

Sunday a.m. actually sounds pretty good. 16:00 shows a rate of 94 ( 20 m).
That's more like it+ACE- The next 5 hours are spent on 20 m with rates in the
60s. I spend the final 2 hours on 40 with occasional trips to 80 to find ND.
( I never did find a ND station. Its amazing how one can loose a sweep for
the lack of a 50 mi. Qso. I'm going to have to set an SSB sked with Kelly
VE4XT at WB0O for sure.) I take time out to S+ACY-P for unfamiliar calls.
That way I can at least say that I didn't just sit there pushing F1. I can
almost hear some ops falling off their chairs when I call them for their
sweep. XYL can't understand what all the fuss is about and why I just
don't give up.

It was especially gratifying to hear all the stations who thanked me for
giving them the sweep. I've often said that there are few advantages of
being a ham up here in the bowels of the black hole. (Yeah, Yeah, I know
this isn't VY1 but I'll match my VE4 freezefests against their west coast
winters against anytime.) The satisfaction of those few +ACI-tnx sweep+ACI- QSOs
is one of them.

To those who missed VE4 ( and it looks like there were several):
I hope that will not happen again. Try to look for us LP guys a little
higher up in the band on 20/40 m cw. Its a little less crowded and we don't
get run off frequency as much. During the past few years 40 and 20 seem
to be the best place to catch us, if skip to you is possible. I don't do
well on 80 (overhead lines/noise/lousy ant) and we just don't have
reliable propagation on 10 and 15 up here yet. I still miss those
10 M qsos soooooo much. I'm envious of those multi hundred 10m
QSO  totals.

XYL's first cousin is getting married next weekend. I'm taking a lot of flak
forsaking the wedding for SS SSB . In laws look at me like I'm nuts. XYL
threatens to take a boyfriend to the affair. I offer to buy gas. Hah +ACE-  But
I tell em - Hey , it's SS . Sometimes things just take precedence. No
pun intended.

Look for me slugging it out again in SSB on 20. 1000 Q's LP on 20 SSB in LP
SS isn't for wimps.

73 C U in SS SSB.


 Rob VE4GV






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