[3830] K4RO CW NAQP Single Op

[K4RO Kirk Pickering]

  CW NAQP SUMMARY SHEET         Contest Dates : 09-Jan-99, 10-Jan-99
 
  Station Used : K4RO           Operator : K4RO   Category : Single Op

  Default Exchange : KIRK TN    Team/Club : Tennessee Contest Group #1


   BAND   Raw QSOs   Valid QSOs   Points   Mults   
 __________________________________________________

  160CW       64          64         64      24   wire vertical
   80CW      185         185        185      45   1/4 wave sloper 70'
   40CW      180         180        180      47   vertical @ 10'
   20CW      185         179        178      48   PRO57A @ 60' & 100'
   15CW       62          62         62      30   ice-frozen @ NW and NE
   10CW       47          47         47      20 
 __________________________________________________

 Totals      723         717        716     214 


    Final Score = 153,224 points.


Looks like everyone in middle TN had frozen rotators from the ice storm.  
My tribanders were frozen at 30 and 300 degrees for the contest, which 
really wasn't so bad.  I actually was able to turn the lower one west
before the contest began, which was very lucky.


Highlights:

The fantastic TCG teams turnout -- 30+ players, including some 1st timers!

I had all of the antennas and bandpass filters fully automated.
It worked very well.  Still a few bands to clean up QRM-wise, 
but it was good to have the system working in harmony.

I attempted several moves, which worked well.  Some didn't, but it was 
good to try.  Moving is good.  I need to be more flexible in the future.

TR-Log worked flawlessly.  I hardly knew it was there.

Worked ZL9CI for an all time new CW country without even trying.
Just stumbled upon him while tuning the bands.

Other interesting DX included LU5CW and SEVEN (7) Alaskan QSOs from 
WL7KY and KL7RA.  Thanks Ernesto, Chris and Rich!


Lowlights:

I've had a horrible head and chest cold for the last 48 hours,
and felt physically awful the whole contest. 

Terrible QRN on 80m and 160m the entire night.  I took the last
full hour off, which I usually don't do in January.  I wanted 
to take a break earlier, but the low bands sounded so noisy that 
I decided to push on as long as the rate was good, which it was.  
I apologize to the many stations calling on 160 & 80 that I could 
not hear.  The QRN was *really* bad here.

I moved VE5SF to a duplicate contact (sorry about that Sam!)

One thing I am struggling with a lot in this contest is knowing what
band I should be on.  Even with two radios, I still feel uncertain
about band choices.  I guess it comes with experience, which I am 
gathering.  I think I have to be willing and able to QSY a LOT in 
this contest.  I can always find another CQ frequency.

Two radios is a LOT of work, at least if you're not very good at it.
It's very taxing on my poor "greyware," and I'm really not sure if it 
is helping my scores very much because of the mental fatigue.  Perhaps 
I am either using rig 2 too much, or I maybe need more practice outside 
of contests, as W4AN recommends.  To be honest, it just wears me out. 
Maybe if you really know the code it is not so bad.  I don't, yet.

All in all this CW NAQP went much better than my last two, and
this is a personal best score.  Thanks for the QSOs!

-Kirk  K4RO



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