[3830] N6IJ SSB Sprint Score and Story

[Tony and Celia Becker]

                              SPRINT SUMMARY SHEET

     Contest Date : 13-Sep-98
    Callsign Used : N6IJ
         Operator : AE0M
         Category : SO HP
            Power : 500 W
              RIG : FT-990, FL-7000 and 486DX2-66 MHZ running TRLog v 6.29

             Name : Anthony J. Becker
          Address : 3273 B. Rocky Water Lane
   City/State/Zip : San Jose, CA  95148
          Country : United States
            email : becker at sprintmail.com

        Team/Club : Northern California Contest Club #1

   BAND   Raw QSOs   Valid QSOs   Points   Mults   Antennas
 __________________________________________________________

   80SSB      41          41         41       0 Inverted vee @ '60, Discone
   40SSB     101          98         98      12 LP1017 17 el log periodic @
70'
   20SSB      79          79         78      32 LP + 204BA @ 60' fixed NE
 __________________________________________________

 Totals      221         218        217      44 


    Final Score = 9548 points.

I, by virtue of my statement below, have taken part in the NCJ North American
Sprint, conscientiously applying my most ethical interpretation of the rules
for this contest as set forth in the National Contest Journal.

 Date _7_September,_ 1998_   Signed _Anthony_J._Becker_  Call _AE0M_
 
QXQ:  This was my third serious attempt at a single operator entry from the
former MARS station of Ft. Ord, Marina Amateur Radio Club.  Largely through
the
efforts of Pat Barthelow, AA6EG, MARCS is now property of the city of Marina,
CA and operated by the city recreation Dept.

I arrived at 2200Z (3PM) deliberately leaving more time to prepare properly
(and
without the previous weeks Scottish Festival acquired hangover).  Always quick
to react Pat had obtained a Drake L4B during the week and was busy trying
to get
it going.  Unfortunately, the chain drive to the plate capacitor needed parts
not at hand.  I rearranged the antennas with his help, choosing the 80-10m
discone over the Zepp for 80m use.

30 minutes before the test I started making some Qs on 20m to warm up and get
comparative reports between the monobander at the top of the hill and the LP,
about 30' lower.  This showed that the monobander was better into the expected
directions, and should be good for those hard to get mults in new England and
the maritimes.  

I started on 20m, switching between the monobander and LP during receiving
time,
but as in the CW test the previous weekend, I soon fell behind.  This trend
continued throughout and I finished a full 1/3 behind the leaders.  During the
contest, 91 stations gave me a higher QSO number than I gave them for an
overall
average of -26.4 Qs behind.  Much as my Catholic upbringing trained me to
blame
myself, a bit of analysis shows that is only part of the reason.

When I went to 40m at 0123Z my average deficit to these 91 stations was
-8.7 in
29 Qs.  When I went to 80m at 0319Z, I had averaged -26.7 with these
stations in
41 Qs on 40m.  At the close I had averaged -51.6 behind on 80m in 19 Qs.
Although I delayed the move to 80m until as late as I felt I could, I lost as
much ground there in the last 40 minutes as I had on the other bands the
previous 3 1/3 hours.  Although the discone was better into the midwest
than the
inverted vee, neither could hold a candle to the N6RO wire beams I have
come to
consider "normal".

Once again, I often found my self lurking on a busy frequency calling station
after station without getting an answer.  This was especially true on 80m,
where
the ineffectiveness of the wire antennas may provide an explanation, but also
happened often on 40m where the log periodic should be at least as
effective as
a "shorty forty".  

We clearly need the extra 5 dB of a "full gallon" amplifier.  Rest assured
that
the L4B will be running soon.  We also need to put up a more effective 80m
antenna.  Luckily, the hilltop forest of 60' high telephone poles await our
efforts, and I haven't got the Chutzpah to discuss the potential of Jack
Trosters
former 40m aluminum laying in a pile on the MARCS grounds.

Just wait until next spring!

AE0M, Tony Becker - becker at sprintmail.com - Silicon Valley, USA

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