[3830] ARRLDX SSB K4ZW SOAB HP

[K4ZW at Staffnet.com]

                     ARRL DX Contest, SSB
                    
Call: K4ZW
Operator(s): K4ZW
Station: K4ZW

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: VA
Operating Time (hrs): 47
 

Summary:
 Band     QSOs  Mults
----------------------
  160:      5      5
   80:     88     49
   40:    119     59
   20:   1106    105
   15:   1264     97
   10:   1030     95
----------------------
Total:   3612    410  =  4,442,760

Club: PVRC

Comments:

   Conditions, at least in the area, were definitely down from last year.  
Sunday was a struggle. I worked 15 pretty hard on Saturday so I planned to 
concentrate on 10.  In fact I had only 2 hours over 100/hr Sunday on 10.  
Fatigue was never a factor.  At one point a guy in the UK said “chap you have a 
great circuit over here.  You’re 20 over on a clear frequency” but the runs 
never materialized. 
     I lost the amp on my run station just into the 6Z hour the first night.  I 
heard a loud zzaaap and out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash after which 
it was lights out. Glancing though the top vent holes I can see the plate choke 
is burned open.  It also emitted a low grade burned component(s) odor, which 
almost masked the one from my shorts.  I took the 87A from the multiplier 
station and slid it over which meant all my second radio operating would be 
without an amp.  It turned out that I had very little problem working stuff 
without it.  

  Other random, sleep deprived thoughts;

    	I’ll take a CW contest over SSB any day
	I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of the second radio.  This is the 
first year I’ve been using it.  
	I really need to fix the hash my Writelog/W5XD SO2R box generates on 160.  My 
multiplier total could use the help.
	JA’s were LOUD and plentiful on 10 meters Friday night leading up to the 
start.  Of course by the time things got started, the opening was gone.  I 
almost had visions of starting on 10 when I heard this.  Two weeks ago I ran an 
hour of JA’s on 10 about the same time using a club call KN1DX.  I used 
Writelog so K1SE could print lables for the inevitable cards.  It was the 
biggest stateside JA pile up I’ve ever experienced and at one point the short 
term rate meter was closing in on 200.  That would have been a great way to 
start the contest.
    
73
Ken K4ZW



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