[3830] ARRLDX SSB N4KG SOAB(A) LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: N4KG
Operator(s): N4KG
Station: N4KG

Class: SOAB(A) LP
QTH: ALA
Operating Time (hrs): 29.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   19    14
   80:   58    43
   40:  123    69
   20:  233    84
   15:  243    89
   10:   88    33
-------------------
Total:  764   332  Total Score = 760,944

Club: NADXC

Comments:

ARRL DX SSB 2005  N4KG  SOAB(A)  LP

This started out to be a semi-serious SOAB LP effort.  I became concerned as I
listened to the JA’s drop from good readable signals into the noise by 0010Z on
15 Meters.  Multipliers came fast and furious in S&P mode Friday night and
Saturday.  Unfortunately, QSO totals seemed to be less than I had hoped for.  

By Saturday evening, my appetite for 5 and 6 banders overcame me and I bit into
the ‘forbidden fruit’ (i.e. Packet Spots) to make Low Band contacts with several
of my perennial 4 banders such as CT9L and LR2F.  I was now SOAB LP Assisted, or
more  appropriately, DISTRACTED, as coined by K3WW.  

Unlike most of the SOAB (A) entrants, my internet computer is on another desk
behind the operating position, is NOT interfaced with my Logging Laptop or
Radio, and loses connection whenever I transmit into my primary Low Band
Antennas, a pair of Ladderline Fed dipoles for 80M and Elevated GP antennas for
80 and 160.  I did reposition the monitor to a more easily visualized location
and quickly learned that All Band spots for an SOAB operator results in a bad
case of INFORMATION OVERLOAD.  

After switching to single band spots, it quickly became apparent that even at
100W, fresh packet pileups were NOT the place to be.  The packet spots DID show
me how much I was missing as a SOAB operator.  Sometimes stations would suddenly
appear in portions of a band I had just tuned through, some stations were either
very high or very low in the band, and some were probably just not transmitting
as I tuned past their run frequency.  I’m not sure what a single op can do to
overcome those scenarios without seriously impacting rate.  Well maybe I can. 
It’s called SO2R.  Hmmm….

My original plan called for a short nap just after lunch Saturday, BUT even
though there was a noticeable decline in rate, MULTIPLIERS were still plentiful
and I operated straight through to 0600Z.  In the morning I picked up another 5
Q’s and 3 multipliers on 40 before going to 20M for a sweep of the band.  Then I
moved to 15, hoping to pick up some Eastern Europeans and Russians as the band
opened.

Unfortunately, as everyone east of K5TR knows, I heard absolutely NOTHING on 15M
from Europe!  It was enough to make me take a 2 hour break for breakfast.  From
1530 to 1620 I made all of 12 Q’s on 20,15, and 10M.  I went back to bed. 
Almost 3 hours later I returned to find a LOT of activity from Latin America and
the Caribbean which kept things interesting until the end of the contest.  I
want to thank all of those individual participants from South of the USA for
getting on and participating in this contest.  Without them, this would have
been a very boring weekend.

The following 12 stations were worked on 6 Bands:
9Y4W    FY5KE    HI3CCP    J68RI    P40W    PJ2T
PJ4G    TE2M     TI5A      V47KP    VP5B    WP2Z

The following 8 stations were worked on 5 Bands:
8R1EA    FG/F5CWU    J88DR    LR2F
NP2I     OA4SS       V31TR    VP9/W6PH

The following 14 stations were worked on 4 Bands:
9A7A     CN2R   CT9L   DL0WW   EA8ZS   EI7M   H7A
HA80IARU OE4A   T49C   TO5A    VP2MDY  VP5H   XE1XOE

N4KG Station Equipment:

FT990 at 100W Output

160M Inverted L with apex at 85 ft and 50 radials 
     supported by a tree over marshy land

80M Dipole NE/SW between 130 ft towers.
    Inverted Vee JA/SA apex at 140 ft.

40M CC 2L40 at 95 ft
    Dipole JA/SA at 90 ft.

20M Telrex 2L*20 at 75 ft. (*director broke off)
    TH7 at 40 ft

15M CC 4L15 at 55 ft.
    TH7 at 40 ft.

10M 5L10 at 62 ft.
5L10 at 35 ft. fixed SSE

>From the early results posted on the 3830 reflector, it appears those long
Sunday morning breaks may have cost me first place in SOAB (A) LP.  Next
time???

de Tom N4KG in North Alabama


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