[3830] SARTG AA5AU SOAB LP

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                    SARTG WW RTTY Contest

Call: AA5AU
Operator(s): AA5AU
Station: AA5AU

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: LA
Operating Time (hrs): 22
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Pts   Mults
-------------------------
   80:   50   485    19
   40:  136  1540    48
   20:  263  3120    75
   15:   70   820    33
   10:    7    65     5
-------------------------
Total:  526  6030   180  Total Score = 1,085,400

Club: 

Comments:

Remind me to never try low power in this contest again.  It was a major struggle
but at the end I feel satisfied I accomplished my goals of 500 QSO's and a
million points.  Next year the amps go on!

This contest is hard to describe.  Condx were poor but some DX paths did open. 
40 and 80 meters were very noisy the first period with thunderstorms nearby.  20
was decent most of the weekend but did not get the path to EU at their sunrise I
was hoping for.

The second period was the worst.  Propagation on 10 and 15 meters were
non-existent.  The 2nd period is usually the most fruitful, but not this year. 
15 meters finally opened a little to EU in the last two hours of the contest. 
Going into the final period, I had zero 10 meter contacts.  When I heard how
strong East Coast signals were on 15 Sunday morning, I moved W4ZE/3 to 10 and he
was S-9.  So I tried to move everyone on 15 to 10 and it worked most of the
time.  I moved AI9T to 10 and I heard him but he must not have heard me.  I did
not work any DX on 10 meters, not even LU.

Two big surprises.  The first was working HS72B on 20 meters.  That's usually
impossible using low power from here, let alone in the middle of the day (1953Z)
during a contest.  The other surprise was working (I think) ZL2AMI on 80 meters.
 I copied Bob pretty well and got my call & number after several calls.  I sent
my number many times then I thought I saw "SRI" but in the same transmission saw
"QSL".  I logged him anyway.  I hope it's good!

Heard 9M6US with a good signal on 20 but he didn't hear me.  Then later heard
him with a strong signal on 40 but he was S&P and I couldn't snag him.  DS5DNO
also had a good signal on 40 but never heard me.

What surprised me most is that I made more QSO's low power this year than I made
high power last year although my score is slightly lower.

Used the new microHAM USB micro KEYER for radio control & FSK on the Icom 775
and it performed great!  I did have some RFI on 40 meters on the USB cable but
remedied that with a ferrite core.

I had to take a couple of hours off because of thunderstorms on top of the QTH. 
When I see lightning through the blinds on the window, I know it's time to shut
down. hi

As difficult as this contest was low power, I feel I did well.  I wanted to try
to win, but condx prevented that this year.  I salute SARTG for adding the low
power category.

Thanks to everyone for the QSO's and especially those that moved to 10 meters.

73, Don AA5AU


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