[3830] ARRLDX CW N7ZG SOAB LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: N7ZG
Operator(s): N7ZG
Station: N7ZG

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: WWA
Operating Time (hrs): 36
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   11     5
   80:   46    19
   40:  119    36
   20:  209    48
   15:  117    35
   10:   11     6
-------------------
Total:  513   149  Total Score = 229,311

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Comments:

Good fun.

The bad news first:
I had the opportunity to take a short notice vacation to Hawai'i with my XYL
and wee ones.  This put some constraints on my contest prep time as I returned
on the Wednesday before the contest.  My antennas cannot be permanently
installed (per CC&R's), so I have alot of prep todo's for contests.   I staged
the K1WA on the nested tower to help save time.   I got the antenna at full
height on Friday a few hours before contest start to find that my rotator
wouldn't work.  I frantically tried to find and fix the problem, including
borowing a rotator control box from Dink, N7WA (thanks dude), but alas the
problem is at the top of the tower. :-(  The SteppIR was fixed pretty much
east-west.  The 180 swap feature could be employed to cover JA/OC or the
Caribbean/SA/AF at the push of a button, but EU was out of the question.  I
figured that since there is no EU on 15 for the most part, I would work as many
of the big gun mults as possible and try to make up the Q's somewhere else.

The good news:
I ended up pretty much matching last years effort in Q's and mults with the
corressponding contest score. Actually I had a few more than last year.   The
activity on the low bands made up for the overall deficit of 20M Q's.  I would
have rather had the main antenna working with another 100 or so additional Q's
in the log.   I use the goal setting feature in N1MM to push me from hour to
hour (Note to self: pad these goals a little year over year, especially as the
spots come back).  Most times I was easily ahead of goal, especially during the
evening hours with 40 open nicely.   It was hard (as expected) when scratching
them out on 20 to EU in the morning.  This was the time I really needed the
yagi on target.  Lesson learned and note to self #2.  Check the antennas fully
a few weeks ahead of the contest.

The really good news:
I'm amazed at how propagation works.  Especially during these so called lean
years of low sunspots.  I enjoy being busier during the evening hours while the
low bands are hot.   I suppose as age takes its toll I will get more sleep when
the spots return.  The low bands were good both days with Sunday being better
(Ostensibly the K was lower on Sunday, so not surprising).   I worked a few EU
on 40 (that is a big deal here in the Pacific NW).  I did manage to work V31
and C6 on 160.   Sunday morning yielded 5 JA's.  Not bad for a half sloper.   I
managed some decent slow runs on 40 to JA late on the second late night stint. 

<SoapBox-Mode>
It seemed that just as my rate was getting going, some stateside lid would
encroach on my QRG.  Mistakes happen when you move in behind a null in my
pattern (or inside the skip zone), but guys (and this is the key),,, move off
when you are called on it.  Don't be a frickin twerp .
</SoapBox-Mode>

15 had a few surprises.  I worked a SM on skew path I believe on Sunday early
afternoon.   Also, on Sunday at about 10:30 local time, 10 meters had a broad
but brief opening that lasted about 45 minutes or so.  I worked a bunch of KH6
staions who were in turn working stations all over the mainland.  I could here
many of them really well from my location.   Also surprising was V31 and XE
central americans mixed in with the usual trans EQ LU's and PY's.   Another
interesting thing was having LA2O call me on 20 LP while I was running JA's on
Friday night (my antenna was pointing more W than NW, so some SW RF snuck in). 


<SoapBox-Mode>
Many thanks to all the JA's who called in during my runs.  It it wasn't for JA,
we west coast types would not be able to run at all. Wanna learn how to S&P at
60+ an hour?  Move out here :-0.  I love the polite manner and friendliness of
JA ops.  It helps offset the attitude of entitlement that seems to exist in
abundance on this side of the Pacific.  
</Soapbox-Mode>

Onward to the WPX contests and the IARU!

73 - Guy


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