[3830] ARRLDX CW N3BB SOAB HP

[n3bb@mindspring.com]

                     ARRL DX Contest, CW
                    
Call: N3BB
Operator(s): N3BB
Station: N3BB

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: TX
Operating Time (hrs): 43
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band     QSOs  Mults
----------------------
  160:     15     13
   80:     90     45
   40:    547     77
   20:    910     74
   15:    545     81
   10:    974     66
----------------------
Total:   3081    356  =  3,290,508

Club: CTDXCC

Comments:

This was the first time for 3000 QSOs for me in this contest, but nearly 10% 
lower score than last year.  Mults were lower by 15% from last year, even with 
contacts over 10% higher.  I couldn’t believe the low mult totals on the 
screen, even though I worked the 2R thing hard the entire time, and moved 13 
stations successfully.   It looks like K5NA beat me in a cliffhanger in the 
local shootout, and listening to K5GN rap with N5RZ on 3830 after the contest 
resulted in a recognition that Dave did extremely well.  Ditto K1DG and W4PA.  

Good conditions, but somehow I ended up with poor strategic decisions.  I 
didn’t stay on 10 meters long enough, especially late in the European and JA 
runs.  Tried to emphasize 40 meters, and was able to run Europe from Texas for 
hours, which is not a given at all, but missed some of the excellent 10 meter 
and 15 meter JA opening, and some of the strong 20 meter opening over the pole 
the first night.  On a personal note, I had to wake at 5 AM to drive the XYL to 
the airport, and although I had taken the day off from work, I was not able to 
get back to sleep later on Friday.  The phone rang and interrupted the one time 
I was about to go to sleep.  That resulted in me going into the contest pretty 
tired, and by midnight it was clear I was going goofy, even with 20 and 40 both 
cooking.  Around Europe SRT, and before the JAs started on 40, I took a brief 
90 minute nap about 12:30 AM local time.  That helped, but I "wasn’t right" and 
didn’t feel sharp from then.  The operating room was too cold, and my hands 
started going numb, including not being able to send CW on the paddle for fills 
and so on.  It didn’t occur to me to get up and close the door, or turn up the 
thermostat!  The first night was not a good night at all.  I lasted until round 
1 PM local time Saturday, and I took a three and a half nap, thinking that that 
time was the "dead zone" from Texas and it wouldn’t hurt too much.  Comparisons 
with K5NA indicate that cost me 200 QSOs.  That did the trick, and I was able 
to operate the rest of the contest in pretty good shape.

Some random notes:

<sum> 7l1IOU was always clear with his QRP 005 on four bands.  
<sum> S59AA was always loud everywhere.
<sum> Some nice long haul QSOs on 40 meters included UP6P, A92ZE, UA9CNV, 
VR2BG, DU3NXE, UN7TX, UA0QO, BA4TB, 9V1YC, and a super-watery EY8MM after the 
sun has risen here.  All called in during runs.
<sum> OK stations are the loudest group in general for me out of Europe on 
20-10.
<sum> I had a 150+ hour on 20 meters over the pole to EU the second 
night-excellent from here for me.
<sum> Several stations refused to work me, saying we had worked before.  They 
gave me the time from their logs.  I checked later, and I had not worked them.  
Thanks to KG4DZ for "working me manually."   I appreciate that.  YO3KPA would 
not work me, but I went ahead and logged him at the time.  I tell guys if my 
log shows a dupe, but work them if they insist.  Most say "hi" or "sri,"  and 
that’s that.  It’s frustrating to have people be so rigid they have the 
software set to "no dupes" and won’t work you even when you tell them you need 
them.
<sum> Stations were very close on the bands, and people were calling me all the 
way to 200 Hz on either side on my TX frequency.  I was riding the RIT knob the 
whole time.  When they are that far off, it’s necessary to confirm they are 
indeed working you! 
<sum> SP9DNO won the "swinging CW fist award.  He sounded like EME9DNO several 
times.
<sum> OZ6KR kept coming on frequency and calling stations at 10 WPM with a hand 
key.  That happened several times.
<sum> Moving people to freqs in the RTTY area resulted in several RTTY "worms" 
appearing and grabbing the unsuspecting station at a sensitive moment.  
Speaking of RTTY, the digital modes clearly are encroaching lower and lower, 
and are heard down below 050.  The days of nice clear CW sub bands are 
threatened.
<sum> I made one bone headed error, and had turned the TX-IT on at one point by 
mistake.  The RIT was on too.  So people calling me must have been wondering 
why my CQ frequency was moving around.  Oh!  Maybe that’s why the guys were 
calling so far off frequency!
<sum> It was apparent when I had been spotted, as huge pileups would appear, 
and melt away after five or ten quick QSO.  It is fun after the contest to go 
to the OH2 www site and pull down the spots for yourself.  Then go to the log, 
and see the impact on your QSO rate!
<sum> Thanks to the following for moves: V31JP, VK5GN, YV1NX, XF1/N5XX, KL7WV, 
HL1/WX8C, VR2BG, CN8YR, Z33A, OY1CT, ZS4TX, ZL1AH, and ZS6AJS.
<sum> The pile ups on VP2MDY were too big for me to crack.  Never did get 
through.  Tried several times.

Congrats to the huge scores on 3830.  Amazing!


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


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