[3830] ARRLDX SSB K4BAI SOAB HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: K4BAI
Operator(s): K4BAI
Station: K4BAI

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: GA
Operating Time (hrs): 21:07

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:    0     0
   40:   69    36
   20:  220    76
   15:  200    64
   10:  102    31
-------------------
Total:  591   207  Total Score = 367,011

Club: South East Contest Club

Comments:

FT1000MP with new InRad roofing filters, Alpha 78, 1 KW output approx, TH6DXX,
zepp and dipole on 40M.  

As one might expect as we slide down the sunspot cycle, the score this year was
considerably less than last year's even with about 4 more hours on the air (or
at least listening).  Most all contacts were S&P.  I was only able to "run" for
about an hour on 15 M on Saturday morning late 1530-1630 UTC.  That was fun. 
Most of the rest of the contest was hard work.

I had a S9 power noise during most of the daylight hours, which I could manage
to minimize with EDSP and noise limiter on the MP.  Hard to tell the effect of
the new InRad roofing filters, which I had felt helped tremendously during the
ARRL DX CW contest at NQ4I.  Probably a better test will be in CQ WPX SSB later
this month at NQ4I where line noise is not usually a problem.  Also have cooked
something in my Alpha 78 so that it will not work on 160 M below 1900 and has
limited output on 10 M.  On the "broadband" bands in between, it still seems to
work OK, so it is apparently a problem only when manual tuning is required and
it will still tune OK between 1900 and 2000 khz.  I hope to get it fixed after
CQ WPX SSB when it will be used on 15 meters.  

I occasionally changed amps on 10 meters to the AL811H, which gave me more
output than the damaged Alpha 78.  Only tried to call and failed to work in a
reasonable time one station and that was 5H3HK on 10 meters.  Probably could
have worked him if the Alpha has been putting out full power, but didn't get
through with the smaller amp.

Took XYL to a movie on Saturday night, ate lunch out with her Saturday, made a
trip to the post office, played a tennis team match, went to church and Sunday
School, and got about 7 hours sleep each night.  In between would have been fun
except for the boredom after working every station in my portion of the bands
and not being to get answers to CQs.

20 M died early Friday night.  40 was good both nights, if a bit noisy.  20 M
was good to Europe both days.  15 M opened well to Europe (but not western Asia)
on Saturday.  I had hoped for an even better 15 M opening Sunday, but it did not
open to Europe before I left for church at 1320Z.  The best opening Saturday
extended past 17Z, but when I got home about 1615Z, 15M was almost dead to
Europe.  The only European heard (and worked) on 15M on Sunday was EA1DDO.  I
worked a few Europeans on 10M last year, but heard no Europeans or North
Africans on 10M this year.  10M was pretty good to Central and South America,
the Caribbean, and Hawaii, but nowhere else except for hearing good signals from
5H3HK.  20M was crowded and the strong European stations stayed in longer than
they have been in recent months.  

Thanks for all the QSOs.  Hope everyone else had fun too.

73,


John, K4BAI.


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