[3830] ARRLDX SSB N4TZ/9 SOAB LP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: N4TZ/9
Operator(s): N4TZ
Station: N4TZ/9

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: IN
Operating Time (hrs): 36

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   46    34
   80:  126    61
   40:  134    57
   20:  365    92
   15:  110    37
   10:   28    11
-------------------
Total:  809   292  Total Score = 708,684

Club: 

Comments:

Continent List  2009 ARRL DX Phone N4TZ/9

                   160    80    40    20    15    10   ALL
                   ---    --    --    --    --    --   ---
  N.A. calls  =     23    31    24    40    34     5   157
  S.A. calls  =      5    15    22    42    71    23   178
  Euro calls  =     15    72    78   267     1     0   433
  Afrc calls  =      2     3     2     8     1     0    16
  Asia calls  =      0     0     0     4     0     0     4
  JA calls    =      0     1     1     0     0     0     2
  Ocen calls  =      1     4     7     4     3     0    19

  Total calls =     46   126   134   365   110    28   810

     one dupe on 20 need to find it!


 Wow!  N1UR worked more guys on 20 than I or N5AW worked on all 6 bands.
 Ouch!  But, if you take away 20, then my total was better than his
 on the other 5.

 This year seems to have been a repeat of last year propagation wise,
 with no sunspots.  The activity on 15 on Sunday seemed even lower
 than last year.  On 15m, 6W1SJ only Africa and CU2DX only Europeans
 heard or worked. Only worked JA on 80 & 40, not 20.  It seemed that
 the lower bands had more DX available on them, both in quantity and
 variety of multipliers.  

 Lots of problems:

 before contest -
 1)  pin bolt sheared in prop pitch rotor - antenna windmilled for
   several days until I got a climber to fix in 30 mph winds with air temp
   at 10 degrees F
 2)  two beverages broken from tree debris falling in woods
 3)  shack computer wouldn't boot (BIOS battery dead and no one around
   here can find where a battery is in the computer anywhere! No info
   in motherboard manual and nothing found on internet.) Need another
   antique computer to hold W9XT card (ISA bus) and extra COM/LPT
   card for interfacing shack equipment.  K9MI was kind enough to
   lend me a computer a few days ahead of contest to give me time
   to set things up.

 during contest -
 0617 first night - transmitting on both rigs at same time which the
   Top-Ten SO2R box is supposed to prevent!  Recycling power in shack
   seems to clear this up for a while.
 2242 first day (Sat afternoon) Omni VI have long hang time with carrier
   sent after talking stops.   Stopped using Omni VI at this time -
   turned off SO2R box and bypassed SO2R box so could only use one radio
 2257 Orion buzzing (motorboating - big spikes) seemed to interact with
    SP level
 0008 second night - vox hanging on Orion - not going back to Rx
 0018 DSP T/O O message on Orion screen after pushing F1/F2 keys on pod
    Master reset got things sorta going again.
 Motorboating seems related to using external preamp to boost level from
 SO2R box to line level input for back of Orion (OMNI VI has mike level
 input on back).  Dug out Heil adapter to use front panel jack on Orion -
 cured buzzing.
 Had a number of crashes second day seemingly related to (mis)using
 function keys on pod to control internal voice keyer on Orion since
 can't use W9XT card without the cabling to the back of rig (see above).

Total operating time after both planned and unplanned off-times: 36 hours
Missed much of second evening 40m prime-time slot with rig problems.


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