[3830] ARRL 10 N6WG SO CW QRP

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                    ARRL 10-Meter Contest

Call: N6WG
Operator(s): N6WG
Station: N6WG

Class: SO CW QRP
QTH: Newark CA
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   CW:  195    46
  SSB:           
-------------------
Total:  195    46  Total Score = 35,880

Club: Northern California Contest Club

Comments:

This was a mixed bag contest.  It was fun, it was hard work, and
it was somewhat disappointing.  I know the solar cycle was lower
than last year, but this contest showed just how much.  Makes
me concerned for next year.

Friday night I was ahead of last year at that time, 24 to 16.
Still ahead Saturday afternoon when the band dried up for me, but
my lead had begun to fall apart.  By 0100Z I heard no new signals
so closed down with 150 Qs vs 140 last year.  Sunday I made only 45
Qs, compared to 96 last year.  Final spread was 195 this year vs
244 last year.   
 
I was able to work nearly every station I heard, some just above
the noise.  I still wound up with only 63% of last year' score.
I wonder if next year will be down that much from this year?  Also,
I wonder if it was a case of lower participation, with some folks
expecting poor condx and doing something else?
 
The highlight of this contest was having ZF2NT answer my CQ,
instead of me having to bore down into a pileup on him.  Neat.
I had hoped to see some JA stations in the last hour or so, but
couldn't find any loud enough to copy and work.
 
Reviewing my multipliers list, I see I didn't work a single VE
station.  Curious.  Don't recall hearing other stations working
them either.  Did they sit this one out?  I feel better seeing
comments from others that they didn't work any VE's either.
 
This wasn't a complete disaster, as I wound up with 2 more
country mults this year, even though I had 13 fewer stateside
mults.  Equally curious.
 
My new 10m bisquare worked very well, and was quieter on receive 
than my 40m dipole, even though it was higher.  I still need to
improve my receiving ability, as I can work virtually everything
I hear now.
 
Anyway, I had fun, and enjoyed working a lot of the old familiar
contesters out there.  Hope to see you all in the Stew Perry
160m coming up.
73, Bob N6WG


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