[3830] ARRLDX SSB W4NF SOAB(A) HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: W4NF
Operator(s): W4NF
Station: W4NF

Class: SOAB(A) HP
QTH: VA
Operating Time (hrs): 37

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   23    21
   80:  109    54
   40:  182    72
   20:  631   109
   15:  603   101
   10:  367    94
-------------------
Total: 1915   451  Total Score = 2,590,995

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

I started real slow on Friday night and after 5 hours only had 215 Qs.  I was
hoping that the Eu run on Saturday morning would be good to make up for it but
when 10 meter EU signals were weak I had to go to 15 and 20 for any good runs. 
When I first went to 20 on Saturady morning the SO2R DX Doubler failed and was
trying to key both rigs at the same time, so had to disconnect everything and
reconfigure for the single radio.  This was the second time that I got up out of
the chair and decided that I would go do something else (like balance the check
book and pay bills).  I came to my senses quickly as I realized the chores I had
to do where much less fun than playing on the radio.  So I sat back down and
started having fun again.

15 and 20 had some good hours and this was the first time that I decided to try
and run on 40 during a phone contest.  It worked just fine with rates in the 50
Q/hr range.  The trouble was trying to find any freq to listen on.

I made a big error this year by not going to chruch on Saturday evening and that
meant that I had to go on Sunday morning.  Of course that is when the bands
really came alive, so I missed 2 hours on Sunday morning during the best run
time.  I know if I had skipped Mass my tower would have fallen down or my amp
would have blown up or something like that so that was not an option so I'll
plan go to Mass on Saturday evening during this contest next year.

I had a good time and now its time to fix up the station for next contest
season.  I have to fix the SO2R box and I'm going to mount the middle C3E on a
swing gate so I can point it to places other than EU.  73 and Thanks for the
Qs.





Antennas

Force 12 C3E @ 87’ (rotatable)
Cushcraft 40-2CD @ 75’ (rotatable)
Force 12 C3E @ 58’ (fixed on Europe Northeast)
Cushcraft A3S @ 35’ (fixed Southeast)
80 Meter Vertical running up the side of the tower (with 64 ground radials)
160 Meter Inverted L also running up the side of the tower (both verticals use

the same feedpoint and ground radials)
80 Meter Dipole @ 60’
Unterminated 580’ long Beverage NE/SW

Tower

Rohn 25G 75’
Guyed with 1/4” EHS at 3 places on the tower
Rotor – Ham IV
(2) 700’ long runs of Hardline (3/4” 75 ohm and 7/8” 50 ohm)
24’ Chrome Molly Steel Mast

Antenna Switching and Stacking

6 x 2 Array Solutions SixPak
Stack Match (all 3 tribanders are connected to the Stack Match)
Dual Feedline Option (allows second radio to use top antenna in the stack)

Station

Rig				FT 1000MP
2nd Rig			        IC 751
Amp				Alpha 374A (160 – 10 Meters)
Keyer				Logikey K-3/Bencher Paddle
Mic				Heil Proset
Computer			Pentium 100
Logging Software		DX4WIN
Contesting Software	        WriteLog
Band Switching		        Top Ten Devices Band Decoder
DVK				MFJ 434
CW Keying			Top Ten Devices DX Doubler
SO2R Switching		        Top Ten Devices DX Doubler 
Antenna Switch		        WX0B Array Solutions SixPak
Stack Switch			WX0B Array Solutions Stack Match
Bandpass Filters		ICE Multiband filters


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