[3830] NA Sprint CW N5DO LP

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                    NA Sprint CW Contest

Call: N5DO
Operator(s): N5DO
Station: N5DO

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: TX
Operating Time (hrs): 4

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Op Time
---------------------
   80:   40        
   40:  114        
   20:   87        
---------------------
Total:  241    Mults = 45  Total Score = 10,845

Club: 

Team: Austin Powers

Comments:

Every CW Sprint I operate ends with me saying, "I can do better."  No other
contest seems to test both me and my equipment like this one -- and I often come
out second best.  This time I had both my radios operational and all my antennas
ready.  With 15 minutes before the contest I was listening to 20M and nervously
thought I would check everything.  So on my StepIR antenna I decided to
recalibrate, just to make sure it was exactly right.  Suddenly it was not
working at all -- high SWR and not receiving at all.  I frantically tried to fix
it, but to no avail.  I would have not operated at all, but I had told N3BB to
sign me up for the Austin Powers Team and I didn't want to let the other team
members down.  I decided a few contacts would be better than none, so I used my
second radio antenna (an old Mosley TA-33 fixed to the northeast at 30 feet) and
the 40M beam and 80M dipole and went at it.

I ended up with about the same number of contacts I usually have, so it doesn't
appear that lacking my rotatable 20M antenna hurt much.  I do think I would have
made more contacts, though, if I was in a better frame of mind.  I spent the
first 30 minutes fuming over my stupid error in not leaving the antenna alone,
and the next 3 1/2 hours worrying over what was wrong.

Anyway, as has been said by many others in the remarks this year, it was a great
contest with lots of operators.  As always, I look forward to the next one and
am sure I can do better!


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