[3830] NAQP SSB AD1C Single Op LP

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                    North American QSO Party, SSB

Call: AD1C
Operator(s): AD1C
Station: AD1C

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: CO
Operating Time (hrs): 10

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:           
   40:  105    41
   20:  144    41
   15:   18     5
   10:    2     1
-------------------
Total:  269    88  Total Score = 23,672

Club: Grand Mesa Contesters of Colorado

Team: GM Rockies Starters

Comments:

Radio:     ICOM 756 Pro III (100W)
Antenna:   half-G5RV in attic
Software:  CTWin 10.04

Missed: ME, RI, DE, VA(!), MS, WY, ND and lots of provinces.

First mistake: I chose to use CT because I wanted the extra frequency
resolution in my imported ADIF file (DX4WIN now has a FREQ field that stores to
the 10s of Hz).  What I didn't realize is that the band map was useless to tell
you if you already worked the station or not (coloring was all messed up). So
it was hard to mark a station for later, then actually find it!  Second, in the
beginning, I occasionally used control-ENTER like I did in WriteLog (force of
habit when S/Ping), but instead of saving the QSO, it entered the call in the
band map and wiped the QSO!  So I had to dupe a few folks since the first QSO
wasn't in my log. Other than that, CT ran like a charm, I just wish the band
map had been more meaningful.

I started on 7225 to try to work the locals, but had an S9 noise level. I've
known about the noise problems on 40 SSB for a long time, but never did
anything about them. I think I heard W0RIC (or someone working him), but after
five minutes and no QSOs, I gave up and went to 20.  Interestingly, the noise
problem moved down in frequency during the course of the contest, so it might
be something temperature-related in the house. 

Third mistake, no voice keyer.  I tried to get the one in the IC-756 to work; I
could record, but I couldn't get it to key the transmitter!  So the few times I
called CQ, it was live, and since no one could hear me, I had to CQ a lot
before I gave up.  I had a few mini runs on 20, but couldn't raise anyone on
40.

Anyway...  I thought both activity and signal levels were down on 20 compared
to the CW weekend.  I didn't hear that many folks from the East Coast (no
Virginia??!?!?!)  15 sounded more like the 10 meters of the CW weekend, working
only California stations.  There was a fairly sustained opening to K5TR and
W5WMU on 15 (several hours), and I even worked N4OX in FL, but I could not hear
N4PN in GA when I tried to pass him.  The real surprise was working K5TR on 15,
he passed me to 28410 and we worked easily! I also worked AE5GT in TX on that
band, but that was it for 10.  I think K5TR and W5WMU worked a LOT of guys on
10 and 15.  K5TR was my only 4-band QSO (10-40).

At 2222z, KL7AA stole my "run" frequency on 20, but he couldn't hear me!  I did
work Corliss ("CAT") at KL7DX later.

I probably picked up a number of states for Triple Play (I was pretty deficient
on SSB), but there are still some left to go.

Next contest: CO QSO Party on September 5: http://www.ppraa.org/coqp/

73 - Jim AD1C


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