[3830] SS CW K4XU Single Op LP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: K4XU
Operator(s): K4XU
Station: K4XU

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

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  180
   40:  360
   20:  551
   15:   20
   10:     
------------
Total: 1111  Sections = 80  Total Score = 177,760

Club: CODXC

Comments:

This was my best showing since moving to Oregon in 1997. Though the high bands
were not there, 20m was the money band. I was able to hold a frequency from the
start, 14015, and for the next four hours ran at 90 an hour. I switched to 40m
at 01Z when the second rig’s rate equaled the run rig’s rate. I found a
good place at 7024 and was able to keep it for two hours at about 80 per. Even
though it is difficult fighting to keep a frequency, there are benefits beyond
being able to call CQ. You can tell when you get spotted because the pile and
number of U stations suddenly increases. 

Low band operation from this city lot has been growing steadily worse over the
past ten years as my lot has been “incarcerated” into the city of Bend and
as the surrounding land is devoured by developers at eight houses per acre. The
LF noise level is usually a constant S-8. At exactly 10PM Saturday night the
noise level suddenly went to nearly zero. S-3 stations that normally would have
cussed me out for being deaf appeared perfectly Q5. I have not had this much fun
on the low bands in many years. 

The only SO2R practice I get is in SS and the FOC Marathon. A new switchable
BPF, a modified sidetone circuit in the old Omni 6 and a rebuilt homebrew
six-pack were added this year and made a big difference. 18% of the total QSOs
were made on the second radio. Many of the “tough” mults like NL and YT
were either worked on the second rig or spotted there and worked with the
primary rig with its better antennas. No matter what, the biggest benefit of
SO2R comes on Sunday. Being able to do an alternating CQ was the salvation of
my sanity. I beg forgiveness for about three unresponded CQ’s. I gave
preference to the primary rig’s run frequency so when there are multiple
callers on the primary rig, it causes a double wait at least. I’m not sure
there is a way to prevent it.

On Sunday evening NU6-- answered my CQ at about 20 wpm. I slowed to 21 wpm,
gave my exchange and got a very sketchy “?”. I repeated the exchange at 15
wpm and got a 10 wpm “sorry” and silence. It appears this guy was using a
logging program to send. All contesters will slow to whatever speed is
necessary to make the Q. But the other guy either has to send at the speed he
wants or to learn to ask for a QRS.

Weather and conditions were good this year. The daylight savings change screwed
up my schedule – the alarm clock was on new time and my sleep time calculation
was based on old time – so I overslept by an hour. This meant that I did the
contest in two12 hour sittings without the normal half hour breaks that make it
manageable. Sunday was very very long.

My thanks to all who gave me a Q, to my neighbors who allow those silly wires
and strings in their trees every fall, to my wife who makes coffee and food,
and to Mr. Murphy who, for once, went somewhere else for SS CW – the best
contest in the world.

73,  Dick

PS. I missed Dayton this year. Was there a decision made among all the usual A
ops to go to Q this time?


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