[3830] ARRLDX SSB K1TO SOAB HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: K1TO
Operator(s): K1TO
Station: K1TO

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: FL
Operating Time (hrs): 34

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   44    37
   80:  136    55
   40:  284    63
   20:  987    95
   15:  772    84
   10:   37    16
-------------------
Total: 2260   350  Total Score = 2,373,000

Club: Florida Contest Group

Comments:

Lots of fun for the most part!  Was very unhappy that one prominent SO showed up
40 minutes after I did just below me on Sat AM, then promptly asked *me* to
move.  This same op decided in CQ 160 CW that it's fine just to jump on top of
me and call a DX station that is calling me.  Whatever.  

Had originally planned on 18-24 hours or so, but enjoyed it enough to stick
around a bit more.  15 seemed to favor the south a bit, similar to the CW
weekend.  Really neat to work a lot of the CW gang and had some great laughs! 
Also very much enjoyed working a number of stations on multiple bands.  There
seems to be a bottomless well of western EU stations to work.  DO, DG, DC, DD,
PD, PE, F1, M3, 2E, G7, IW, etc. are all common prefixes now and are quite
competent operators - FB!

Disturbing to have lots of newly upgraded US hams call on my listening freq
outside the US band.  

Blew it on 75 by staying low in the band.  I think that most of the world is
unaware of the new USA phone allocations and old habits worked best.  Finally
CQed above 3800 late the second night with some success.  

Secrets of success:  ;<)
- Leave all fixed beams pointed at the US, incl 40M
- Don't fix the one broken leg of the 75M array
- Work late, don't begin to set up until after the contest starts and make your
first QSO over one hour late
- Get up late both mornings after 20 is wide open
- Don't bother setting up SO2R
- Mark the amplifier as you change bands during the contest

One question that baffled me all weekend:
Why would "Florida" not be understood, but then they would come back with "OK
roger Florida Lima"?  

Seems like there is more demand for the FL multiplier, now that K4XS is KH7XS,
K4VUD is HS0ZCW, N4PN is back in GA, and WC4E is off the air for a while.  

No real high sustained rates.  That's typical on SSB for me - probably a combo
of antennas that are cut towards CW and a general operator incompetence on my
part.  Kept getting pushed around.  At one point, VE7BQ almost immediately
generated a huge pile-up on 20 underneath me, but I know their openings are
limited, so I just moved.  Often on 15 and even on 20 at times, sigs were very
weak from other stateside stations, and frequency management was a challenge. 


Will probably op WPX SSB as NE4AA part-time.  

73, Dan, K1TO


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