[3830] ARRL SS CW N4GN SO HP

[n4gn at n4gn.com]

                     ARRL Sweepstakes, CW
                    
Call: N4GN
Operator(s): N4GN
Station: N4GN

Class: SO HP
QTH: KY
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band     QSOs
-------------------------------
  160:       
   80:       
   40:       
   20:       
   15:       
   10:       
-------------------------------
Total:   1279 x     80  =  204,640

Club: Kentucky Contest Group

Comments:

Don't have the rate sheets or band breakdowns in front of me, but I remember it 
was exactly 500 Qs on 20, and just over 400 on 40.  Only CQed for a few minutes 
on 15, and never on 10.

I actually had a pretty reasonable last couple hours--i.e., no "game 7 effect" 
noted here.  I HAD considered saving my off time for the end just so I could 
watch the game, but looking at my rate sheet from previous years, I've always 
seen the Qs pick up as darkness approaches, so I decided to go with the usual 
strategy of taking my last off hours in the 19-2200Z range.

I put a small B&W TV in the shack, so I could keep up with the game, but it 
probably distracted from the second radio a bit.  Did the same for game 6, but 
not much distraction after watching the first 8 or 10 D-backs runners circle 
the bases.  In the end, I couldn't imagine a much better weekend--a personal 
best SS CW score, and FINALLY seeing someone knock off those damn Yankees with 
a storybook comeback of their own!  I'll bet KC7V still hasn't come down from 
the ceiling.

Goal #1 - improve on last year's score and the KY record.  Check!  If I can 
keep up this 6% growth rate, I can give N6TR something to worry about in what, 
20 years?!

Goal #2 - 200,000 points for the first time.  Check!  At least I certainly hope 
I didn't bust more than 29 QSOs!

Goal #3 - Three-peat on the Great Lakes HP plaque.  As they say in HC8, vamos a 
ver . . . (I keep thinking someone will catch on here and get mad enough to do 
something about it, but it seems most of the 8-landers avoid this category for 
some reason.)

Goal #4 - 1400 QSOs.  Well, it looked good on paper!  Actually, with "score 
inflation" I think I'll probably break 1500 QSOs by the time I'm 50.

I fully agree with all the comments about the high quality of operating.  The 
only strange case was the guy who chased me nearly a full kHz on both sides of 
"his" freq, then told me to QSY FIVE kHz!  I told him to buy some filters!

And yes, we definitely need to encourage the QRP revolution.  Imagine how 
grueling this event would be without them!  Was there some kinda QRP convention 
going on in WY this weekend?  Maybe they need to hold it in ND or VE8 next 
year.

I think I worked at least two of every mult, except for YT (VY1JA) and ND 
(WB0O).  Thanks for being there, guys!  Last mult was NL, with VO1WET calling 
in on 20 early Sunday morning.

Finally, the WX0B SO2R box kicks butt, especially in combination with TR Log!  
This was my first serious effort with it (the SO2R, not TR Log!), and it was a 
BIG improvement over the old homebrew contraption I had used for years.  Now 
the thing that needs the most improvement in my shack is the operator . . .

73,

Tim, N4GN
n4gn at n4gn.com


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