[3830] ARRLDX CW NS3T SOAB LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: NS3T
Operator(s): NS3T
Station: NS3T

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: MD
Operating Time (hrs): 38
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   13    12
   80:  108    55
   40:  165    68
   20:  218    74
   15:  275    73
   10:   95    40
-------------------
Total:  874   322  Total Score = 844,284

Club: 

Comments:

Wow, what a fun time this weekend was!  This was my best contest effort
since 1984 in terms of score and contacts - it came about thanks to a 
lot of antenna work over the recent Christmas break.  With the sunspots
waning, I knew I needed something better on the low bands and my wires
and vertical gave me 135 mults on 160/80/40.   That helped offset the
troubles on 10 meters.

Still, I can't just call CQ in a contest like this - so most of my 
work was two radio S&P, covering as many bands as possible every hour.
I did have a few good runs and worked in second radio QSO's while
I was doing that.  You guys who run at 100/hour while SO2R'ing 
get a tip of my hat for that ability.

My contest highlights were many.  First, finally working Hawaii on
160 meters.  All those radials buried in the back yard finally worked - 
along with good ears at KH7X!  I worked 12 countries in all, and 
probably could have gotten more, but slept from 10pm - 3:30am
on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Next would be lots of good DX on 80 meters.  It all came about
from a simple inverted vee that I hung in my tree out back,
with an apex up about sixty feet.  I have gone from 33 countries
a few weeks ago to almost 80 now.  5-band DXCC is truly within reach.

I had a couple of mini runs on 80, including one on Saturday evening,
when I was able to work deep into Europe and Russia.  That felt great!

Since I can't really CQ too much, I tried to vacuum the bands for
mults to make up for that.  Sunday morning I really tried to move
the dial in terms of hertz, not kHz, so I wouldn't miss anything.
It really paid off, because later in the day I noticed all kinds
of second and third contacts on 15/20/40.

It sure is nice when you lay the groundwork for a contest and
things work out!  I also need to thank the very pregnant XYL for
letting me play radio the entire weekend...and for not having
the baby DURING the test!

And thanks to all the DX for coming out to play!

73s Jamie NS3T
IC 706
TS 530

100 watts
HF6V vertical for 160-10
80 meter inverted vee
40 meter inverted vee
end fed dipoles for 20,15,10


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