[3830] K5OY (@AB5SE) SS SSB SO/LP/Unassisted

[Steve Gibbs]

Here is my score for the 1998 SS SSB Low Power Single Op Unnassisted

1108 X 79  =  175,064   

in 21Hours 30 Minutes

Comments:
After a very limited CW SS (7 hours), I was anxious to grind out a full
effort in the SSB SS.  I set, for me, some lofty goals, not really thinking
I could reach them.  To say I was surprised would be an understatement.

This effort so far surpassed my goals that I can't tell you how happy I am.
 Without even realizing it, I came close to a 100/hour during hour two,
something I've never even come close to accomplishing in the past.  Then,
at hour three, 93/hour.  The overnight was slow, but come Sunday....come
Sunday, the Qs kept coming and coming and coming!  I initially hoped to get
900 Qs and really had doubts about that goal on Sunday morning.  But
conditions were good into western Arkansas and the sigs came pouring in.  
Why, in my third last hour, I had another 93/hour rate.  

Overall observations...
*Of the 79 sections,  77 called me.  Only had to call VY1A and WP3R (which
gave me the sweep).  Got the sweep at 1055 which also left a lot of time
for running later in the day.  
*I was amazed how long I could hold a frequency running 100 watts and how,
with sigs packed so tightly together, I could still hear almost everyone
who called.
*More often than not, I would work stations off the side of the beam.  I
mostly pointed toward the northeast, but was still able to work an ample
number of northwest and south stations.
*I had to shut down early because of date plans.  In retrospect, I
definately should have worked to the end of the contest.  Maybe could have
sqeezed a few extra Qs.
*Even with shutting down early, I far surpassed last year's effort.  1108
Qs to last year's 767.

In closing, I will never run with the big boys, but this year, I got a
taste.  And that taste is pretty sweet!


Thanks to Jerry, AB5SE, for the use of his shack.  It really helps when you
have some aluminum to work with as opposed to a G5RV.  And to Jerry's wife
and daughter who put up with snoring so loud from the shack during sleep
periods, that theyheard it at the other end of the house.  (at least that's
what they say)

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