[3830] NA Sprint SSB N3BB HP

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                    NA Sprint SSB Contest

Call: N3BB
Operator(s): N3BB
Station: N3BB

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Austin, TX
Operating Time (hrs): 4
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Op Time
---------------------
   80:   65     1.5
   40:  113       4
   20:  112     2.5
---------------------
Total:  290    Mults = 49  Total Score = 14,210

Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club

Team: Austin Powers Crazies

Comments:

I was out at K5TR's helping George take down some damaged antennas (with K5OT)
most of the day and got back in time to take a shower and watch the Texas-UCF
game on TV and recharge my batteries. I was OK in the Sprint and didn't feel
tired or that I was fading.

This was my first SSB Sprint in over twenty years. Much different from CW
Sprints given the "pockets" of available space on the bands to avoid Broadcast
stations on 40 meters and established QSOs on 75 meters and the other bands.
The NCCC NS SSB practice Thursday night really helped me as I had no idea where
to operate. Thanks also for recommendations from W9RE and K5OT.

Also this is different as most of the CW contest stations are hard core
regulars or at least semi-regulars. On SSB there is this group to be sure but
also many stations who answered my CQs were not actively in the contest. On SSB
it's pretty quick and easy to tell them the "deal" and thank them for a contact.
Hopefully some will come back. W1KLM's comments on 3830 are a good example of a
good guy who got in the swing late on 75 meters (and provided AR!). 

I probably spent too little time on 40 meters. 20 meters simple stayed open and
there was an endless stream of answers to CQs there. 20 meters is easy as the
stations are audible even at ESP as compared to roaring and wild 40 meters. I
probably didn't work long enough on 40 as it was not too pleasant, although it
was open the entire four hours. Many of the mults were stations who called me
on "inactive radio SO2R CQs, with low numbers (low teens or less) and that was
encouraging. At the start I was tentative and was quite a bit behind a lot of
the stations, but apparently caught up. I could tell that gradually from the
number sequences, but it was a hard grind....CQ CQ on the inactive radio while
listening on the active radio for an unworked station to call and hopefully
starting a couplet. I operated the SSB Sprint in much the same way as I operate
the CW Sprints. There were plenty of times when I got bolloxed up by my poor
keyboard typing (lack of) skills. Thanks to the people who stuck with me and
repeated fills. Things are so much faster on SSB.

Missed CT, NC, KY, LA, WY, MT, SD, and VE2 from the list of normally possible
states and provinces. I never heard any of these needed mults.

My hourly rates were 87, 71, 71, and 61. Things seemed to dry up toward the end
on (mainly) 75 meters. I missed W6NL on 75 meters! Amazing.

A high point for me (thanks to the mult gods) was that in the final few minutes
on 75 meters, at a point where I was resigned to 46 mults (a good number) I was
called in short order by AR, BC, and SK, with numbers of 13, 10, and 8. Wow!

Some of the guys who were both loud and "everywhere" were W6YX, K6LA, KO7AA,
KA9FOX, K7RL, and of course the ubiquous K7 Suger Sugar. "He's everywhere!"

K7 "Really Awfully Tomatoes" was so loud on 75 meters in one jump ball when he
called me that I commented on his signal strength. SSB is sort of cool in that
it's easy to make chit chat and keep up the rate.

I'll have at least one known bad QSO as I managed to erase the number of one
QSO received with poor typing and was not able to ask for a fill as the station
had QSYed. I'll guess at it but my probable starting point will be 289/49.

All in all, I enjoyed it. The Sprint is such a hoot.

73, and thanks to the organizers and the NCJ/ARRL. Thanks for this 3830
reporting system too.

Jim N3BB


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