[3830] TBDC N9ADG Single Op LP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

Call: N9ADG
Operator(s): N9ADG
Station: N9ADG

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: PRESTON WASHINGTON
Operating Time (hrs): 8.5

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 127  Total Score = 1,096

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Comments:

What a great contest! Despite being "committed" to some family/friend activities
at some of the best operating times, I was able to sock in 8.5 hours in this
contest. 127 Q's, tons of S&P, lots of CQ's too.

Minuses:  
  - Attempt at best complaint -- Shack is unheated; weather near freezing at
night now. Was working on my CW-computer interface, and left it at work. I was
using a straight key (yes, straight key) for the entire contest. Fingers were
getting numb from cold. It's hard to log and send CW with straight key at same
time. Sorry for the rotten CW sometimes, folks. Sometimes there was a shiver in
there.    
  - My wife doesn't like the "added radials" going over the lawn.  
  - Some really strong signals & crowded band revealed interesting artifacts in
my rig's passband.

Pluses: 
  +  K7RAT as first QSO, good low-noise conditions, great loud signals (N6RO --
s9+40dB all the time). 
  + Patient operators. 
  + Learning to type one-left-handed.  
  + Daylight between opening and last part of contest is good time to resolve
issues with a marginal antenna.  
  + Got to work K9DX, twice. 
  + Precipitation may have improved my ground. 
  + Some interesting make-do for my antenna fixes. 
  + I'm so READY for Straight Key Night!

Worked almost everyone I could hear, with the exception of:
 JH4UYB
 JA3YBK (less sure about this call)
 VE3OSZ
 PJ2/WB9Z (tried a bunch for this one!)
 ZF2NT? (heard sp'ing up the band, tried to get in front of his upward 
	climb with a CQ a couple of times,
 but missed!)
  
Don't think I heard Alaska. Seems like there were times when all the "new"
stations to work were sp'ing; hard to get a run going from the east coast with
100w and my current antenna. 

Preparation: Have a G5RV up at about 60'. Turned it into a top-loaded Marconi by
shorting the feed coax at the base, added four 124' radials over the ground,
feed point a well casing sunk 250' deep into the hill.  Thought the tuner in the
shack would be reasonable, but moved to an outside tuner during daylight -- 
Voltage fed at the base through a temporarily-housed-in-plastic-box MFJ949 tuner
at the base. Got a good 1:1.1 match at a chosen spot of 1817MHz. 

Next time:
More-better ground system.  Maybe a trip to Boeing surplus for some radiating
material. 
Use my computer-CW interface.
A Hat to keep warm.
Schedule more time with my wife for the contest.


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