[3830] ARRLDX CW K5GN(@W5KU) SOAB HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: K5GN
Operator(s): K5GN
Station: W5KU

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: S. Texas
Operating Time (hrs): 42
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   26    23
   80:   86    46
   40:  573    82
   20:  539    97
   15:  731    99
   10:  790    96
-------------------
Total: 2723   443  Total Score = 3,578,997

Club: Texas DX Society

Comments:

Wow.  Condx were great considering the fall in sunspots.  However, the local
condx were worse for QRN than most July IARU events.  Rain static was awful from
0400 to 1900 the first day, so rates were much degraded from what was possible;
thunderstorm QRN was awful both nights.  Poor preparation the week before meant
starting with only a couple of hours of sleep since Wednesday night, so I fell
apart Saturday night with hallucinations and arguments with myself about what
these idiots were doing on my frequency.  Ended up sleeping through European
sunrise and most of the rest of the second night.  Last year I made all 48 with
ease, but between starting fatigued and fighting the QRN for so many hours on
end, it was just not there this time.  

Lots of fun, but not as easy as last year.  I hope condx don't fade too far by
2004, but this was probably the last good 10m weekend for years to come.  10 was
interesting with skew path and short path oscillating back and forth during the
early part of Sunday's opening to the east.  It was frustrating hearing
Europeans on 160 but not well enough to complete very many QSO's in the static. 
I was really pleased with myself for doing well on my goal to stick with only
short trips to 160 (no DXing!).  20 is the pits from here unless the sunrise
opening to Europe comes through, which it did this year.  Sunday at noon there
were only 3 or 4 Europeans calling CQ that I could hear on 20m.  

The static would go on for 2 or 3 minutes, break up for about 30 sec, then start
up again.  Almost quit and went to bed the first night.  I was able to use the
lower antenna of the stack to reduce the rain static from S9+30 down to S9 to
S9+10db.  This helped bring a few stations in on the high bands.  However, I
needed a fourth arm -- send, switch to lower ant, tune RIT, type, switch back to
stack, send, switch back to lower, type ... switching after every transmission. 
Using the beverages on 20 and 15 didn't help.  Don't have the beverages hooked
up to 40/10.  

TR says 686 band changes.  Worked the 2nd radio much better this time, with
fewer oopses on the primary radio while concentration was split.  Mults are up
over last year on 40/20/15, down on 10 and the low bands for reasons mentioned
above.  Didn't try to move as many people as last year -- wasn't sure I'd be
able to hear them if I did.  Got tired and made a few band change/computer
errors.  Someday I'm going to interface the computer to the radios, but it won't
happen anytime soon (I'd have to spend money on it).

Started great with HS0ZDZ on long path on 20.  Tried to move him to 15, but
didn't make it until much later.  Had 400 Q's in the first 5 hours, so I thought
it would go great.  Then I hit the low bands and the QRN battle began.  0900 was
the high water mark for the first night, with over 100 Q's on 20 and 40.  Didn't
break 100/hr again until 1500z when signals on 10m got up above the rain static.
 

I had the frustrating feeling that the rate would have been 50% better if not
for asking for so many fills from people saying QRP QRP.  Ugh, just a few dB and
they'd have been out of the noise.  Worked a lot of 5W guys and even got some 3W
and 1W reports.  Some of them would do well to learn that 5NNTT5 comes through
better than 5NN5WATTS, when they're in the noise.

The skies cleared out about the time 15m closed to Europe.  Per Murphy.  20m
after noon was a terrible grind from here, so the lack of QRN was not a boost at
all.  It's strange.  VK5GN is blasting in on LP over Africa, but only a few big
gun Europeans are even audible.  Finally walk in 60 Q's in the 2200 hour.

I watched the sun set with anticipation, only to find that the storms were now
one hop away on 80 and 160.  Even 40 was affected badly.  This is what finally
did me in.  Listening through the static wore me out.

Sunday morning after sleeping for several hours, got up and spent half an hour
just figuring out what a contest was.  Once I came to, I had a little JA run on
80 including BW3/UA3VCS with a great signal.  That perked me up, but the rates
on 15 and 10 were nothing to write home about.  Did reach 100/hr again (barely)
in the 1600 hour.  Later, 20 was worse than Saturday, so it was a slow crawl to
the finish.

Hope everyone has fun in the 'phone version this weekend.  I'm still tired, and
catching up on home chores, so I won't go near the radio.  Perhaps will get on
in WPX Phone, but probably not for more than a few hours.

Thanks again to W5KU, who is a stalwart gentleman, and a pretty darn good
engineer.

Dave K5GN

160: sloper
80: 2el delta loop, inv. vee
40: 2/2
20: 5/5/5 NE + 4/4 NW + Tribander SE
15: 6/6 NE + 5/5 NW + 5el SE
10: 7/7/7 NE + 5el SE
4 beverages NE NW SW SE
TS930, Alpha 76
FT-1000MPMkV, Alpha 78
FT-1000D, Henry 3K
All kept to 1500W or less
TR Log, one computer


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