[3830] SS CW K9XE Single Op LP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: K9XE
Operator(s): K9XE
Station: K9XE

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Urbana, IL
Operating Time (hrs): 14

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  186
   40:   70
   20:  164
   15:   36
   10:     
------------
Total:  456  Sections = 80  Total Score = 72,960

Club: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

I never wrote a very long Soapbox after a contest, but please indulge me because
this was my . . . First Clean Sweep!!
I was thinking I at least had a chance when my first contact in this year’s
Sweepstakes was VE8EV!  I was literally high fiving thin air in the shack when
I logged that one.  I had actually worked him ten minutes before the start of
the contest, and I think I was the 4th or 5th station to work him after the
contest began.
By noon on Sunday, I was missing 5 sections – SB, MS, NL, ND, and MAR.  MAR
wasn’t hard – VE1RGB had a great signal on 15.  That left SB, MS, ND, and
NL – I thought of it as my “West, South, North, and East” challenge.
I heard N4OGW very faintly on 15.  Tor is now in MS after living in
Champaign-Urbana for several years.  He is a good CW op.  With my beam pointed
west, he was S3/4.  When I pointed at him, I couldn’t hear him at all, so
back West it went!  I called him several times and got several ???s  I tried
him a few minutes later and he came back.  I copied all except his NR.  So I
gave it a stab, since I recalled hearing him send a “600 something” a while
earlier.  I realized that QSO might be thrown out, but I would take my chances. 
But an hour later, I found WQ5L in MS, which got me off the hook with my
probable screw-up with N4OGW.
Next I found VO1MP in a chaotic pile-up on 15.  Stations were calling in an
uncontrolled manner.  In 5 minutes, I only actually heard the VO1 once or
twice.  Then he made a genius move and announced he was listening up 1.  I got
him on the first call.
Then I found KE0A in ND on 20.  Solid S9 signal from there.  Then a while
later, I found N7IV in ND, one of our SMCers who was operating from the Minot
area.  When it rains it pours!
So now the big question is “Where’s SB???”  I had heard one SB station on
Sat., but he soon disappeared.  By 1 PM, my only missing section was SB, so I
decided to start at the low end of 20 and work my way up listening closely to
see if I could find one.  And there was W6AYC, making his way up the band
hitting all of the CQers.  So now what is my strategy?!  How ruthless do I want
to get?  I tried calling him right after one of his exchanges, but I came to my
senses and realized why that was not good – for a variety of reasons.  So I
went up the band about 20 kHz and found a fairly open slot (although it
probably wasn’t!).  I called CQ and got 3 quick replies, and then BINGO! –
W6AYC answered my CQ.  After the exchange I thanked him for making my first
Clean Sweep.  He responded with a quick “dit” on his paddle.  Guess I was a
bit more excited about it than he was.  I think I’ll send him a QSL, anyway.
A short while later I found VY1EI calling CQ – 2 NTs!  Who would have
imagined?!  Not me!
After completing the clean sweep, I went to 80 to just add Qs.
Thanks for reading about my first SS Clean Sweep!  I promise to be a bit more
low key about my next one.


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