[3830] CQWW SSB N5DO SOAB LP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: N5DO
Operator(s): N5DO
Station: N5DO

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: TX
Operating Time (hrs): 34

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:    5     4        2
   80:   38    13       23
   40:  109    24       55
   20:  242    26       86
   15:  180    25       62
   10:   15     4        5
------------------------------
Total:  589    96      233  Total Score = 530,019

Club: 

Comments:

This contest represented a symbolic milestone for me.  On Saturday, October 18,
my wife pointed out that it had been exactly a year since I underwent quadruple
bypass surgery.  Last year Oct 18 was on a Thursday, and a week later I made the
160 mile trip home from the hospital.  The Saturday after I got home was the
CQWW SSB contest and I thought I would operate some.  It turned out that I
operated very little as I had little energy.  Now a year later I am feeling
good and thought I would operate about 38 hours in this contest.  It turned out
that I only operated about 34 hours, but it was not due to a lack of energy.  

I debated whether to operate high or low power and finally decided to go low
power.  Three hours or so into the contest I moved to 40M and became so
discouraged with people CQing in my face that I seriously thought about
switching categories and going high power.  It seemed like every QSO on 40 was
a struggle.  I had planned two hours of sleep, but ended up sleeping four hours
in two periods.  Saturday I planned six hours of sleep and ended up with a
little less, but got distracted during the day with football.  I watched some
of the Texas Tech game and the UT game (both my kids live in the Austin area,
some 400 miles east of my QTH, and have ties to Tech and UT).  That night I
watched my alma mater (Arizona) live up to my expectations by losing to USC.  

When I got up on Sunday I had already missed more of the contest than I had
planned and felt disappointed with the bands. I started on 20M and had a
difficult time working anyone and signals seemed way down.  In fact I was
afraid that I had blown a diode in  my FT1000MP receiver.  After about an hour
I looked at the control box for my 3-element SteppIR and realized that I had
the 180 degree button pressed.  It was surprising that I could work anyone at
all!  Oh well, one more thing to put on my mental check list to look at when
things are not working right.

After I got the antenna working correctly things really brightened up on Sunday
and I ended up with a good taste in mouth by the end of the contest.  

I plan to be on for a lot of hours during SS CW but I will have to miss some
prime operating time due to this weekend being Homecoming at Sul Ross (where I
am the Provost).  However, if you need West Texas please give me a call!

73,

Dave, N5DO


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