[3830] SS SSB K7OX SO Unlimited HP

[k7ox at pipeline.com]

                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB

Call: K7OX
Operator(s): K7OX
Station: K7OX

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: WA (EWA)
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  205
   40:   58
   20:  292
   15:  690
   10:  448
------------
Total: 1693  Sections = 80  Total Score = 270,880

Club: Spokane DX Association

Comments:

I decided to enter the Unlimited Category in both modes this year from my new
retirement QTH.  I wanted to try for a sweep in both modes.  I have never been
able to "Sweep" both modes.  I also wanted to get a better feel on conditions
from my new section "EWA".  I also have switched over to Writelog after using NA
or CT for the last 10 years or so.  This is my second serious effort using
Writelog and amazed at how powerful this software is.  I am still in the
learning mode with this software.  Sunday is usually so boring I figured I could
keep my interest up by going around and picking up the spots as well as posting
spots while S&P.  The use of packet was not all it is cracked up to be.  Infact
packet was a bust on both modes.  For CW I used the local 2 meter Packet
Cluster. After about 3 hours of use it "Crashed" due to a link problem between
the mountain top and the local WS7I telnet link and was off until Sunday and
then it was off and on and not reliable and finally just turned it off.  For SSB
I thought I would get "Smart" and be in "Tall Cotton" and use the WS7I Telnet
link.  Everything seemed to be working just fine until I went to 40 and 75, RF
was getting into something and keep knocking me off the phone line.  I turned
the Alpha off and the link was fine and stayed connected.  However, running low
power on 40 and 75 was not to my liking and was not getting anywhere. I turned
the amplifier back on, lost the link until the next day when I stayed on the
high bands.  It didn't matter then because already had my "Sweep".  40 meters
was horrible for phone and made very few contacts.  75 was a real surprise and
had over a 100 Q and ran into a buch of NCCC guys around 3850 and picked up all
the in close CA sections.  It was nice to visit as I had been a NCCC for years
when I lived in NV.  The hardest section for me believe it or not this year was
OR, I was getting panicky when I had 79 sections and no OR.  I finally worked a
OR station and then quickly worked several other OR and took my break having a
sweep and feeling good.  Again 40 phone is horrible for SS here in my new QTH
(Spokane)and I made very few contacts, whereas on CW it was great and made over
200 Q's on 40.  I am still learning propagation is very different from my old AZ
QTH of 33 N to now being at 48 N, the Aurora is unreal.  Thanks for all the Q's
and see everyone next year and hope to have it figured out by then.  Special
thanks to the VE's who put all the sections on in great numbers and there should
be lots of "Sweeps"  Dan better order up extra coffee mugs but last years mugs
looked terrible and hope ARRL goes back to the older style with the gold leaf.

73 Gary K7OX


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