[3830] ARRLDX CW NN3W(@N3HBX) SOAB(A) HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: NN3W
Operator(s): NN3W
Station: N3HBX

Class: SOAB(A) HP
QTH: MD
Operating Time (hrs): 46
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   92    56
   80:  563    75
   40: 1274   108
   20: 1028   105
   15: 1042   102
   10:   80    40
-------------------
Total: 4079   486  Total Score = 5,947,182

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Thanks, as always to John N3HBX for letting me use the Poolesville station.  I
didn't break anything!!!!

A terrific contest.  Wow, what sunspots do to the bands is amazing. The last
time I operated at this type of level was back in 1992 in Cycle 22.  Having 2
high bands open at the same time (reliably) is going to take me some
adjustment.  Thank God some of the load was taken off of 20.

I was not sure what to think/do going in.  The weather in the mid-Atlantic has
been AWFUL (nearly 100 cm of snow at the home QTH since December).  That has
limited the ability to do maintenance at the "Farm".  As a result, the big 20
meter stack is dead, the 80 meter pacific wire yagi is dead, and the 20 meter
mult stack has high SWR.  Plus, I had to shovel part of the driveway at the
Farm to ensure that folks could get in/out.  I was damned tired after it.  With
those handicaps - I was certain that I was going to do this contest SB40 to
break the 40 meter USA record.  However, after a few tests with folks in EU, I
decided a couple hours before the starting gun to go SOAB(A) knowing that I'd
not be performing well on 20 (I think the numbers prove that), and realizing
that I'd not do that good unassisted.

Conditions were amazing on most bands except 10 which showed wisps of life, but
still nothing major.  20 was great as always.  15 was damn good (probably could
be a bit better).   40 was downright nuts without the normal MUF blackout that
we've been used to.  80 was good the first night and really good the second
night.  160 was decent and with low noise.  I had all the beverages at my
disposal this time.

Thoughts/snippets:
1) I LOVED the 40 meter opening on Saturday morning - working JA's on the
greyline with the yagi pointed about 030 degrees (they were much louder that
way than shortpath) and having JA after JA (as well as UA0s and an occasional
BY call in)
2) HATED the OX3XR pileups.  They were absolutely nuts.  Some other packet
piles were really bad too - especially Caribbean ones.
3) Never thought I'd be in the old "novice" section of 15 meters (21.115?)
running EU stations at 135 an hour.
4) Hated myself for giving up 21.004 and an IMMENSE pileup to go chase spots on
10 meters, only to realize that it really wasn't open and that, upon return, I
had to not only give up any hope of operating back on 21.004, but also anything
below 21.100....
5) Loved being called by 5X1NH and then ZB2EO - one right after another.  For a
second, I thought this was CQWW....
6) Hated the fact that I could NOT work a JA on 80 meters.  I heard SEVERAL of
them, but they could not hear me.  Blame that on the dead 80 meter wire yagi.
7)  Loved getting spotted at the right time; did not love the fact that the
pile got so huge that my rate started to decline...

I tried some different food techniques.  Gone are the crackers, bread items,
and most artificial sugars (save for one package of PIMs).  In are about 1/2
dozen bananas, two cans of pineapple rings and, one medium tub of Tony Roma's
rib BBQ meat.  Felt much better energywise.

Congrats to all the top scorers.  I thought I had K3WW beat at this one. 
Hohoho.  Not so.  Nailed him on mults, but, Christ, I got killed on 20 (see
above)....


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