[3830] SS CW K7GK(@K7ZSD) Single Op HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: K7GK
Operator(s): K7GK
Station: K7ZSD

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

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  155
   40:  387
   20:  512
   15:  133
   10:     
------------
Total: 1187  Sections = 80  Total Score = 189,920

Club: Willamette Valley DX Club

Comments:

Because of my fondness for a certain logging program that doesn't run on Windows
XP, I had to use a laptop that's not a part of Brad's station setup. This meant
destroying the beautiful new operating position arrangement. I’m sure it was
tough on Brad, who put so much effort into creating it. The unanticipated side
effect of this was to reveal itself later. In the first couple hours I was off
to a decent start, even though I had a feeling that I wasn’t doing as well as
I could. When it was time to go to 40, though, my computer seem to have lost its
mind. It was obvious that RF was getting into something. Trying to figure what
it was led to a break during the productive time and had quite a discouraging
effect on me. After a break things were going again, but my CW sounded choppy
and sometimes the messages were coming out wrong. My apologies to those I
worked during this time, it must have sounded weird. Some time later I realized
that a good candidate for causing computer/RF problems was the keyboard
extension cable. After I took it out and plugged the keyboard directly into the
laptop CW manipulation problems went away. Another word about that keyboard,
though. It’s one of those shortened versions of a full size keyboard where
the arrow keys sit right next to the other keys and are arranged in a weird
way. Brad’s desk has a special cutout for it and it really looks great. A
realization came to me about 8 hours before the end of the contest when it was
too late to do anything about it – these weird arrow keys have been killing
me all contest long! I type a lot at work and I’m really used to a normal
keyboard, so having this unusual key arrangement made me look at the keyboard
every time I pressed an arrow key. It really can break your rhythm.

During the slower part of the contest, I tried my best to catch up by working
two radios as hard as I could, but you just can’t make up rate when you mess
up early.

As others noted in their posts, it’s been a rough weekend here in the
Northwest weather-wise. S-8 noise on 40 and S-9 on 80 made for some challenging
hours. I must have been somewhat alligator-like on those bands.

Last 4 sections worked were SK, RI, MB and PR.

73, Denis – K7GK


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