[3830] ARRL SS CW N7JI SO QRP

[ham at w3eax.umd.edu]

                     ARRL Sweepstakes, CW
                    
Call: N7JI
Operator(s): N7JI
Station: N7JI

Class: SO QRP
QTH: OR
Operating Time (hrs): 18
 

Summary:
 Band     QSOs
-------------------------------
  160:       
   80:      7
   40:    123
   20:     53
   15:    121
   10:      5
-------------------------------
Total:    309 x     75  =  23,175

Club: 

Comments:

Wow, what fun!  I didn't even think about setting up until Saturday morning.  
But then, Saturday morning came, and I got the bug that hadn't managed to bite 
me for three years.  I started digging stuff out of the boxes in the garage...

I'd picked up an OMNI V about two months ago and hadn't even powered it up.
Found some antenna wire, insulators, transmatch, keyboard, 100' coax, 1/2" PVC.
Dragged out my 30' collapsible aluminum mast, rope, guys.
Found a use for the hockey stick I broke last weekend (it became a mast!).

Built a 10-20-40 parallel dipole - Spare 1/2" PVC became spacers.  I live at 
1,050', 600' above the valley, looking eastward.  Antenna was broadside 
east...no room to put up a sloper unfortunately.

Obtained help of pregnant wife in getting the mast vertical.  Tested antenna at 
12:55, 5 minutes before the contest, never having made a QSO on it.  Hooked up 
the RF-1...hmmm...not exactly a good match...anywhere...

Finally powered the rig up at 1:00, time for the contest.  Decided on going QRP 
(as usual - 4 watts), but had made a QSO on the OMNI - never even powered it 
up!  First was K8BL on 15m in Ohio.  Guess everything was working at least 
adequately well.

Head a headache the entire time.  Watched college football, World Series, pro 
football (all with no sound).  What a GREAT weekend of sport!  Go Ducks!  Go 
D'Backs!

Took a 6-hour round trip Sunday afternoon to the coast for BBQ and playing on 
the dunes.  Operated while mobile - 26 Qs, all QRP of course, logged on 
microcassette recorder.  While all callsigns & sections made it to tape, some 
of the contact info didn't.  Oh well, hope ARRL will understand that safety 
comes first, especially with two dogs in the car on a windy mountain road.

Anyway, sorry to everyone for the lack of duping.  I was doing the best I could 
with limited logging resources (a pen and a notebook).

Called CQ infrequently, but was answered by the only contact made into Maine.

Heard W2NNY.  Heard several VE7s (too close, I guess?).  Heard a VE1.

Never heard Vermont or Newfoundland/Labrador.  Even so, I'm pretty happy with 
an operation that was thrown together truly at the last minute.  Everything 
performed as well or better than expected, and I realize how stupid I was to 
have ever sold my original OMNI V.


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/


--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/3830
Submissions:              3830 at contesting.com
Administrative requests:  3830-REQUEST at contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-3830 at contesting.com