[3830] SS SSB K7ZSD Single Op LP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB

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

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: NW Oregon
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:   61
   40:  357
   20:  489
   15:  209
   10:    0
------------
Total: 1116  Sections = 80  Total Score = 178,560

Club: Willamette Valley DX Club

Comments:

I started the contest with one of the most gratifying QSOs in my 44 years of
hamming. I was on the upper end of 20m ten minutes before the gun and found a
clear frequency to start. I asked if the frequency was in use, and heard a very
light station give his call, VY1EI. Of course I called him, I had to swing the
beam due north for the QSO. He called me by name which was a surprise, and then
the story. He told me that hearing my station was the reason he got his ham
ticket. I astonishingly thanked him for the honor. Eric then related he had
been an SWL, heard my station on 2 years ago during the CQWW SSB working
Europeans, and was fascinated. He found out later it was ham radio and got his
ham license last year. We chatted until the start, he was my first Q in the
test and I moved on as he started working his pile up.

I never heard Eric or Jay the rest of the contest. I decided to operate LP this
year to have instant band switching without any amp tuning. I almost threw in
the towel after the first two hours. I had spent a lot of time the day before
configuring the Wintest DVK and thought I had it working just right. From the
start I had problems with sound card hum and artifacts. Yes, I put in an
isolation transformer but I guess it takes more than that. I think my audio
suffered so I took time off and put the MFJ DVK inline and it worked like a
champ. I really had wanted to use function keys to operate the DVK and record
on the fly, but sound card issues will need to be ironed out. At the start I
was unable to do anything on 20m but search and pounce, which is like watching
paint dry. You listen to the long exchange, throw in your call, get beat out,
and try again. Then listen to the other stations long report, then the fill,
then beat out again. I really enjoy running but Low Power makes it really
really hard to do. Finally as the East coast started to move to 40m, I could
hold a frequency and run.

Moving to 40m, with a pair of beams, I felt fairly loud and ran for a couple of
hours. Then 80m, which was crowded and difficult from the far Northwest. The 80m
stats from the East Coast and the South to Texas and New Mexico tell the story.
Huge Q numbers for them both nights.  I have two bobtail curtains at right
angles on 80m and could work everything I heard, but with 100 watts running on
a packed band was like sailing upwind in a gale.

Sunday morning I had breakfast with my wife and got on about 7 am local and 20m
was alive. I should have been there an hour earlier. I was able to hold 14.215
for two hours and had the best runs there and on 15m for many hours. I finished
the sweep with QC that morning while running. That late afternoon it was back to
40m, and it was the old Sunday evening story, most stations had been worked or
done for the weekend. I quit a couple of hours before the end, had a glass of
wine, and got on for the last 20 minutes. Yes I had fun, but 20 hours of fun
was all I could take.

One good thing about no amp, there were no complaints about being too wide or
splattering. It was a pleasure to work so many YLs, several youngsters, and new
hams. I congratulated every 07 check and there were many. Again, we have the
best operators in the world, they are polite, helpful, and humorous. Thanks to
all for operating, see you all next year.  Brad


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