[3830] ARRL DX CW HC8L (SOAB/HP)

[Leeson]

Just got back today, here's the raw score from the NA summary sheet:

Call used: HC8L                                  Location: Galapagos Is.
 
Category: Single Op All Band     Mode: CW        Power: 1500
 
Callsign of Operator: W6NL
 
 
     band      QSOs      points    mults
     -----------------------------------
     160        348        1044      51
      80        407        1221      52
      40        789        2367      56
      20        885        2655      56
      15       1000        3000      58
      10       1775        5325      58
     -----------------------------------
     TOTAL     5204       15612     331      SCORE: 5,167,572
 
 
     Club or Team Name: NCCC

This is about as even a dead heat as I could imagine with Bruce at
ZF2NT.  It's curious that we're from adjacent small towns in W6.  I
guess the final result will be determined by logging accuracy and a bit
of luck in the dupe department!

By comparing the breakdowns, you can see the differences in the relative
advantages of the two locations (HC8 is 2-hop, but equatorial, ZF is
1-hop but higher latitude).  Bruce's results are at

http://www.contesting.com/_3830/200002/msg00410.html)

I was surprised to have some bands run dry at times, CQing my brains out
without answer just like contesting from home.  I'm concerned this is a
sign of declining CW contest interest in the US.  I had a good run going
on 15 in the last hour, but suddenly there was nobody at all, which
really took the wind out of my sails!

The only problems experienced were outside the contest period, as the
airline that serves San Cristobal went out of business the day we were
to fly there from Quito, so we had to take a roundabout route including
an unscheduled island hopper that resulted in getting there a bit too
close to contest time.  The 930s with tired electrolytics didn't like
the low line voltage, so curing that took up precontest sleep time I'd
hoped for.  After nearly fifty years as a ham, I find I crave my sleep
more and was very drowsy at times in the contest.  At the end I was down
to what seemed like only a few functioning neurons, seeing only a tunnel
with my own eyebrows and the computer screen before me, and moving in
what felt like very slow and deliberate motion!

Rigs were (2)xTS930/AL1200, antennas were monobanders, QTH is El Junco,
Isla San Cristobal, Galapagos Is.

Thanks to hosts HC8GR and HC8FR, Quito hospitality of HC1OT, support and
encouragement of wife K6BL and station partners N5KO and N6KT, computers
from K6AW, last-minute PIEXX/930 NA hack from K8CC.  QSL via N2AU.

Thanks to all for the Q's and congrats to Bruce win, lose or draw.

73 de Dave, HC8L/W6NL



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