[3830] SS SSB VA7ST Single Op LP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB

Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 16

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:   30
   40:  100
   20:  209
   15:  161
   10:     
------------
Total:  500  Sections = 74  Total Score = 74,000

Club: British Columbia DX Club

Comments:

Someone please bonk me on the head if I ever try this again with LP. What a slog
that was. Think I wore out the mic calling fruitless CQs. 

Missed ME, WPA, EWA, AB, MAR and NL. Of these, I only heard an AB (VE6AO) but
they weren't aiming at the West Coast. AB, EWA and NL are now on my perpetually
most-needed list in SS.

Had hoped for much better conditions on 80M and 40M but they were very poor
here. 80M was particularly terrible -- just 30 QSOs vs. 204 last year with high
power. 40M was far better in daylight than after dusk, and one-way propagation
was very pronounced at times with many hours of hearing all the signals booming
in but not being able to work them.

Ended the first night at 0830z still needing 15: ND, EMA, ME, NH, ENY, NLI, DE,
WPA, SC, LAX, EWA, AB, MAR, NL and QC. Had just 200 Qs and 26,000 points.

Once I realized how bleak 80M was on Saturday night, I ended up cutting my QSO
target in half to 500. When I hit it around 0000z Sunday afternoon, I stopped
the agony.

Best hour was 2200z Sunday with 70. Averaged just 31.5 Qs/hour over 16 hours --
went in aiming for 35/hour over 24 hours but the low bands just didn't cooperate
so I took a lot more time off. 

I had a goal of 100 Qs on 15Ms, suspecting SFI=76 would open things up. It did,
and I hit that goal in the first two hours -- in the process working many of the
toughest mults (though clearly not the very toughest).

20M was too packed to run much at all. Could rarely find a freq let alone keep
one for long, despite lots of big signals calling in to keep the wolves at bay.
FT-2000 did a good job of keeping the slot workable when I was lucky enough to
anchor in one place. 

Overheard one quick but humorous exchange at the top of 20M, apparently just
after someone assumed a dormant slot:

  "The frequency is in use."
  "Yeah. They all are!... CQ sweepstakes..."

Had I been able to run more often, the score would have been much higher but
almost every time I QRLed a seemingly vacant sliver of space, someone was
already there to wave me off or spoke up soon after. Must have been like that
for everyone running low power. 

Looks like I was spotted about 14 times -- thanks to the spotters! Sure noticed
the increased business at times. The spot-induced action included quite a high
number of A and B stations mixed in with the M and U callers. I like to think
the non-assisted callers were drawn to the flurry of action on the frequency
rather than by the spots themselves. I often scanned the band looking for bee
swarms buzzing over some needed mult (and then promptly spent too long trying
to work 'em).

Happy to get rare MB in the log twice thanks to Ed VE4EAR and Ed VE4YU. 

Special thanks to Ralph K9ZO who helped me get out of Dodge when I was running
on 20M... guys were struggling to hear me with a 20-over QRO West Coast station
close by that I could not hear at all. He shepherded me to a clear freq and rate
soared for the next half hour and lots of stations got BC in the log thanks to
Ralph taking the time to do that. Thank you.

I also want to recognize the efforts of Rick K3JD, who operated like a champion
to hand out Delaware despite an obviously severe case of swine flu. Should have
heard him working through the fits of coughing -- what a trooper. Sick as a
dog, yes, but definitely a trooper. Well done and get well soon Rick (really,
you should have just employed the "secret weapon" from last year). 

( See http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/?con_id=162 )

I thought people were particularly friendly and well-behaved, especially
considering the hyper-congested bands. I didn't have much success this weekend,
but I felt pretty good about how things went anyway -- in part because of the
nice experiences and quick chats with old and new friends.

I left lots of RF in the radio for CQWW CW next weekend. Looking forward to a
totally different story.

November-08 SOLP 16hr	500	74	 74,000
November-08 SOHP 16hr	753	78	117,468
November-07 SOHP 11hr	421	77	 64,834

-- Bud VA7ST
http://www3.telus.net/va7st


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