[3830] SS SSB W6YX(N7MH) Single Op HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB

Call: W6YX
Operator(s): N7MH
Station: W6YX

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: SCV
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  101
   40:  413
   20:  765
   15:  342
   10:     
------------
Total: 1621  Sections = 80  Total Score = 259,360

Club: Northern California Contest Club

Comments:

We decided to try to run 3 simultaneous SS Phone operations from the W6YX
station this year and see how it would work out.  John, W6LD, brought his K3 to
the shack on Friday evening and he and I tried out various antenna combinations
to see whether we could have 2 stations on the same band using different
antennas.  This is only possible because we have two main towers with antennas
on top of the hill about 500 feet from the shack and other antennas near and on
the other side of the shack, mounted on other smaller towers and wooden poles.

We learned that we could have 2 stations simultaneously operating on 80, 40, 20
and 10 with virtually no interference so we proceeded with the plan to have 3
full-time stations.

I made the mistake of choosing to start on 20 meters.  That had worked well for
me last year with 3 straight hours averaging over 140 an hour.  This year my
clear frequency at the beginning of SS attracted loud stations on either side
of me.  The on-air QRM and noise in the room from the other two operations made
it very difficult to copy weak signals.  My first two hours were both 77 Q's,
about half of what I did last year.  The 3rd hour was my only hour above 100 at
123.  I quit for the evening with 770 Q's at 0800, 240 Q's less than the 1010
that I had last year at the same time.

I realized that 15 meters must have been the place to be on Saturday after
working several stations with much higher numbers than mine.  Sunday I
alternated between 20 and 15 meters, trying to dig signals out of the QRM on 20
and out of the QSB on 15.  The 15 meter rate seemed to come in spurts, either
because the band was in and out or maybe because of packet spotting.

I made up some of the deficit relative to last year and only ended up 160 Q's
behind last year's total.  Operating on the same band as another station in the
same room was mostly not a problem.  The station has two Six-Paks, one with the
hilltop antennas and the other with the lower antennas.  We found  that the
switch position on the unused side of each Six-Pak affected the level of
interference between stations on the same band and we could often reduce or
eliminate audible hash by choosing the right switch positions.

I had more problems with the in-room interference, even though we all tried to
use voice-keying as much as possible.  If we try this again we should try to
figure out how to set up one of the stations in a different room.

Early on Sunday morning I was called by a local who told me he could hear my
second harmonic from 14216 up on 10 meters.  I thanked him for the report and
mentally calculated that he was probably hearing a few milliwatt signal if our
bandpass filter and the rig and amp were all doing what they were supposed to. 
I then asked if he could give me a SS exchange while he was there.  He obliged
and then abruptly finished with, "I'm not supposed to be on this frequency!". 
I checked QRZ and found he had a General license :)

Thanks to all for the Q's and spots.  Thanks also to W6LD and to the K6SU crew
for giving me preference for bands and antennas during our 3-station
experiment.

73,
-Mike, N7MH


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