[3830] ARRLDX CW NT6AA SOAB LP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: NT6AA
Operator(s): NT6AA
Station: NT6AA

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Orange county
Operating Time (hrs): 30

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:   37    16
   40:   84    35
   20:  105    44
   15:   36    20
   10:    2     2
-------------------
Total:  264   792  Total Score = 92,664

Club: Southern California Contest Club

Comments:

The joys of portable operating in the mountains! Get up to the cabin about two
hours before the contest. No antennas up, Ok not a big deal, I can put stuff
up, but about the third trip into the cabin I realize I have NO HEAT!!!
Antennas go up first of course. The normal stuff of losing a pulley or two
(squirrels eating the support rope I think!) Having 3/4 of my radial field
ripped up and dumped in a ball (now who did that?). But I get up a 300 foot
loop about 50 feet high fed by the auto tuner at the top. The Sigma vertical
dipole is the "backup".  Still no heat, I can live with it.. sure.. until it
got to about 40 in the cabin around 6pm local. Fix the heater, pilot won't
light. Weird circuit, 5th try, found the button in the back that allows gas
flow...HEAT! 

On the air a couple of hours late. Tuner lasts 20 minutes then quits in a
current sucking finish. Not good. Work 20 as long as I can. Go out in the dark
and construct a 40 dipole and pull it "up", maybe 30 feet. Included angle is
too great and it won't feed... go to bed. 

Fix next morning, straighten it out get it higher about 40 feet and now it
works fine! Work some morning 40, but I missed the sunrise stuff, work a little
20-15 until the band gets flat and then build and put up an 80 meter inverted
vee. 

Still, worked a few. The Sigma-5 worked better than a little antenna should.
The 40 dipole worked great once I got it up and in the clear. By next year I
should have a 40 foot tower with at least a tribander, and maybe a 2 el 40.
Hope springs eternal! Score is way off from last year. Murphy won this round!


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/