[3830] SS CW K6LA Single Op HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: K6LA
Operator(s): K6LA
Station: K6LA

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: LAX
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:   74
   40:  479
   20:  586
   15:  108
   10:   10
------------
Total: 1257  Sections = 80  Total Score = 201,120

Club: Southern California Contest Club

Comments:

I'm sure I cost myself a spot in the Top Ten box 5 minutes BEFORE the contest
when I decided to start on 20 meters instead of 15 meters. I know conventional
wisdom for the West Coast is to start on the highest band open. However, when I
tuned across 15m before the contest, while there were loud signals, there didn't
seem to be too many of them. 20m seemed more active. As soon as the contest
started, I could see on the bandscope that 15m was hopping. But I had found a
clear spot on 14039 and I didn't want to give it up (I stayed for 4 1/2 hours
there.) I figured 15m would close early and I would be in the right place. 15m
did close, but just not soon enough. I was right about being in the right place
on 20m when 15m closed. I had my only over 100 hour of the conteset in the 3rd
hour, the only time I've ever been over 100 after the 1st two hours. 

The transition to 40m was easy as I found a clear spot on 7039 and stayed there
for 4 hours. I NEVER find a sweet spot like that, so my take is, as others have
mentioned, activity was down somewhat. 

My 80m 2 element short yagi wouldn't load very well, even with the help of the
antenna tuner. It worked fine in CQP. That hurt the score a bit as I couldn't
run much on 80m for the locals. What was strange was that the entire West Coast
was workable on 15m all day Saturday and Sunday. I didn't have much of a noise
problem on 40m, but on 20m I had some serious local QRN. I didn't realize until
Sunday that it wasn't as bad if I switched out the lower 20m yagi.

The sweep was easy this year for me. ND & NNY both called in twice. I found J.
on his favorite frequency Saturday evening and got through in one call. I worked
FIVE NLs. Great showing NL. Hope you guys are out in force for SS Phone also.
The last section was PR and I knew I would find WP3R on Sunday. When I found him
 he was only 20 QSOs ahead of me. I guess there are no Sunday SS doldrums in PR,
as he wound up over 200 ahead of me.

I wasn't planning to even take a listen on 10m, but Sunday in the 2000 hour I
wasn't finding anything new to work on 20m on the 2nd radio and took a listen.
The band was open, there wasn't much activity, but what there was were new guys
to work.

73, Ken, K6LA


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