[3830] SS CW W8EDU Multi-Op HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: W8EDU
Operator(s): AF8A, W8RZ, W8WTS
Station: W8EDU

Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: CLEVELAND, OH
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:  267
   40:  646
   20:  131
   15:   21
   10:     
------------
Total: 1065  Sections = 80  Total Score = 170,400

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

SS CW was a fine contest all around this year.  The bands cooperated, there were
no show-stopping equipment failures, all of the operators were able to devote
the entire weekend to the contest, and even the wx was pleasant.  We had a
great time.  

The bands generally sounded great this year.  The table below shows the mid
latitude K index reported during the 30 hour contest period.  You could hear a
pin drop on the bands at the start of the contest.  The noise didn’t become
noticeable until Sunday afternoon.  By 4 PM local time on Sunday, we could tell
that the bands were getting noisy and the K of 3 reported at 2100Z showed the
reason.  The end of the contest were very quiet again, thanks to the K dropping
back to 1 for the last three hours.  The 10.7 cm flux ran 71 during the contest
while the predicted ISSN is still stumbling at 7.5.  While the sun was kind to
us with the charged particles, it was not generous with x-ray photons.  10 m
never opened and 15 m never yielded any traction.  

#                 Dipole     A   ------------- 3 Hourly K Indices
--------------
# Station        Lat Long  Index 00-03 03-06 06-09 09-12 12-15 15-18 18-21
21-24
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2009 Nov 7
Boulder          N49 W 42    0                                               0
2009 Nov 8
Boulder          N49 W 42    7     1     2     1     2     2     2     3     2
2009 Nov 9
Boulder          N49 W 42    3     1

The only major equipment failure was the Henry 2KD-5 amplifier.  It worked for
about the first half of the contest.  The power supply then blew.  The HV DC
read about 2/3 of the expected value and we had reports of loud hum on our
signal.  I looked inside the amp for obvious damage and made a few
measurements, but could not see any visible damage or easily fixable problems. 
I tossed the 2KD-5 on the other table and put the old Clipperton-L on line.  The
Clipperton absolutely saved us, for with only one amplifier we would have been
nearly dead in the water.  Other than the 2KD-5, everything else worked very
nicely.  

Photos are up at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmgalm/sets/72157622656479885/. 


Gary, Dan and I truly appreciate all of the hard work that everyone does to
keep the station working.  Please keep the legend of W8EDU on the air and loud.
 

73, 

Jim, W8WTS.


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