[3830] ARRLDX CW K0TV M/2 HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: K0TV
Operator(s): K1HI,K1BG, K1WD, K2TE, N1LAJ, NF1A, W1END, W1ZZ, K0TV
Station: K0TV

Class: M/2 HP
QTH: FN42hr
Operating Time (hrs): 48

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   76    46
   80:  710    75
   40:  738    99
   20: 1432   104
   15: 1283   101
   10:   78    31
-------------------
Total: 4317   456  Total Score = 5,900,184

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

Sunspots have returned...well a little anyway. Last year we didn't get
anything on 10 meters and very little even on 15. This year was much
better on both bands. The sunspots have lots more room to recover but
we can see the light at the end of the dark tunnel and it's not an 
oncoming train after all. This year's score is the best ever for us.
We beat our own previous best by over 1M points. It was more than 1.5M
better than last year.

Last year the station had no rotating antenna on 20 meters because of
the ice storm. This year the repaired 20 meter system worked very well
and the new 10 meter system was ready for action on 10. We'll be ready
to rock when the sunspots really start to ramp up.

Unfortunately the plow guy cut one of the indicator cables running to
the 40 meter tower a few weeks before the contest. The rotor then ran
away and tore all the coax for the rotating 10, 40, and 6 meter beams.
Thanks to KB1EKE, the coax was repaired. Marc learned how to put type
N crimp on connectors and managed to do the work while standing at the
top of the tower. The tree service had to take out a few trees near the
house and towers. In the process, their chain saws cut the 15 meter
and 40 meter South feedlines. I got the 15 meter feedline fixed on
Friday morning. The 40 South antenna is still offline but should be up
for the SSB weekend. The 40/10 meter rotor was not working due to the
severed indicator cable but I found that two of the three conductors
were intact so I was able to come up with a work around. A
strategically placed resistor managed to make the indicator usable but
uncalibrated. Some leg work and a calibration chart in the shack
made turning the beams possible without running back and forth to
see where they were.

Most everything else worked. No equipment failures requiring any
major "JerryRigging". All of the team members stepped up to the plate
and did a real good job keeping the rigs manned and on the air.

MVP for this contest goes to Rex, K1HI for showing up on Sunday
despite major car trouble. A special "pre-contest" MVP goes out to
Spinnolio (Marc), KB1EKE for climbing the 40 meter tower on a windy,
cold day to splice the torn coax. Welcome to John, N1LAJ, a new member
of the team, who is new to contesting. 

Thanks to all the stations who called in and especially near the end
for those stations who had to put up with the zombie operator (me) at
our end. Thanks also to the 6 Banders in our log. You know who you are!
We'll see everyone in two weeks for the SSB weekend. With a few more
sunspots, this is going to be a lot of fun!

73, Jerry - K0TV


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