[3830] SS CW N5OT Single Op HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: N5OT
Operator(s): N5OT
Station: N5OT

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Oklahoma
Operating Time (hrs): 22.0
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:   61
   40:  604
   20:  213
   15:  230
   10:   97
------------
Total: 1206  Sections = 80  Total Score = 192,960

Club: 

Comments:

I was so frustrated because I was supposed to be out of town this year.  When my
plans changed with a week to go, I was able instead to smoke-test my
station-under-construction.  However, since I was now *in* town, I had to work
Sunday.

I started out thinking I would see how many contacts I could go to bed with - a
benchmark from the good old days.  I went to bed with 78 mults and the last 2
both called me Sunday morning before work - I hadn't even gotten worried yet! It
went so well I thought I'd come back after work.  Turns out the solar event
happened while I was away anyway.

So, this was accidentally my first serious Sweepstakes in over a decade.  The
contest has evolved a lot, all for the better.  I love the increased activity,
and SO2R has completely changed everything!  Q? M? S? What the heck?  I thought
there were only 74 sections....

In 32 years I have never operated SS from my own station, short of handing out a
few QSOs.  This first time turned out to be a personal best even missing two
hours because of my job.  Things are looking up at N5OT, where there's no meters
like 40 meters, to misquote K5KA - he says that about 20 meters.  Fully half of
my QSOs were on 40.  Wow.

Speaking of SO2R, N5OT is not set up yet with any fancy electronics.  Up to now,
I've converted an old octopus box and cobbled up a hand-operated headphone
switcher from the junkbox.  I kid you not, I operated the whole contest using
speakers attached to both rigs and no switching of any kind; all the CW for both
radios is generated by one computer running Tree's program.  This is making me
reconsider everything - I am really encouraged!

Thanks to Tree for all the SS Secrets!  And thanks to EVERYone who got on - what
a great contest we all made together.  I think next year I'll try to get off
work  :)


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