[3830] SS SSB N8II Single Op HP

Mon Nov 23 17:29:36 PST 2009

                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB

Call: N8II
Operator(s): N8II
Station: N8II

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: WV
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:  794
   40:  242
   20:  985
   15:    7
   10:    0
------------
Total: 2028  Sections = 80  Total Score = 324,480

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

The funniest thing that happened during the SS was while I was trying to sleep.
I stopped at 2:06AM local (last hour was slow), and our adorable small dog kept
nuzzling up against me to be warmer. Finally, he got tired of being moved
away a bit and left. We have a Sleep Number bed with a frame that raises the
head and foot; at 2:40 the head started to rise a bit, then stopped; then we
rose to totally upright! I knew the remote button was being pushed somewhere
and immediately fussed at my wife thinking she had rolled over onto it. Turns
out it was the dog who had relocated to her chair and was laying on the remote!
It took about 2 minutes of frantic searching to find it.

On to SS, I couldn't really get enthused about SS going into it, so prepartion
was near zero. One hour before SS, I was cleaning the outside windows, not
thinking I would push it hard at all. I found a somewhat clear spot with 3
minutes until the start at 14256 and started CQ'ing. The first 5 minutes were
miserably slow, then the callers started coming. At 0102Z, I stopped the run
still on 14256 with 510 Q's in the log, best start ever and one of my best runs
ever! Rates were 115, 130, 137, and 122 in the first 4 hours. I could have
easily ran another 10/hr without all of the contest lid exchanges/fills; but
everyone has that to deal with. The last 2 hours were aided by Es which at
times shortened the skip zone up to MI and neighboring KY and OH. The west
coast was fading fast by then, but it was very late for any 20M opening. After
12 minutes for food, etc., it was on to 75M. I found the first clear spot below
3800 and was off running like mad again; the best hour of the contest was 03Z
with 142 Q's. I hit 1000 Q's at 0515Z, made 1500 by 1848Z (took about 5.6 hours
off) and was still running well on 75M at 0209Z when I hit the 2K ether. Actual
time on air was less than 23 hours, but the short breaks helped me maintain my
focus. Sunday was far from slow; when a run slowed down, the question was not
run or S&P, but where do I run next? Run on a new freq same band or try a new
one? I made 2 attempts around 17Z to run on 15 with aboslutely no callers, so
despite being wide open, 15 was just not worth spending the time. I had good
runs on 20 most of the afternoon, the band that kept on giving, with the best a
88 hour at 22Z. 40M produced a 97 hour at 14Z. With the late opening on 20 again
Sunday until it slowed around 24Z, 40 was full of loud CQ'ers, I tried to wedge
in twice with no callers at all, so it was on to 75M; 3805 was totally clear at
0015Z.

I chased no mults whatsoever until Sunday and had 75 at the sleep break. VE8EV
was found on 20 at 1343Z, WP3R on 20 at 1350Z, and KP2M on 15 at 1803Z. My best
luck was having VO1BQ call on 20 at 1644Z. I very nearly missed him in the noise
of my quite directional 205BA pointed west (have about an S4-5 noise in that
direction); I just happened to switch to the fixed south beam and heard him
calling. A swing of the beam, and he was at least S7. He gave me 
NR 2! The last one needed was AK which I though would call in on 20. When I
fired up at 1936Z on 14199, KL7TS was the first QSO! I went on to run another 7
KL7's on 20. So, it ended up being my most effortless sweep ever, total mult/S&P
searching under 30 minutes.

Section totals: IL-98   MDC-62   MS-9 (some locals missed it)
                VA-82   WWA-58   WV-10 
                OH-79   SCV-56   MAR-9
                MN-71   AZ-51
                MI-68   STX-50

It never ceases to amaze me the number of casual ops in SS with a number less
than 200. They are the backbone of the contest, not the 300 or so contenders.
Thanks so much for taking the time to help out us contenders! It's always nice
hearing familiar calls like N0IJ who reports his 50th SS phone entry, congrats!
It seems as if the number of big scores from PVRC was not that high, but with
the great condx and shorter skip allowing more East Coast Q's, we should give
NCCC a run for their money. Condx for me were much better than a year ago,
especially on 20 with the late openings and 75 with almost no skip zone. With a
better station, the increased activity, and a full 24, I could be dangerous. It
is rough without a big antenna on 40, it's about time to fix that with a revamp
of tower 1, or add a tower 2.

FT-1000, Titan-II amp. Antennas: 20-15M 5 el Hy-Gains at 90 ft. Force 12
tribander at 60 ft fixed S, 40M quad loop NE/SW center at 60 ft, sloping dipole
to SW, 75M ladder line fed dipole at 65 ft and seldom used for SS 1/4 wave
elevated vertical with 5 radials.

73, Jeff

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