[3830] ARRLDX SSB K1LT SO Unlimited HP

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Sun Mar 7 18:28:53 PST 2010


                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Ohio
Operating Time (hrs): 22.3

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   46    36
   80:   74    54
   40:  102    55
   20:  164    79
   15:  137    51
   10:   37    16
-------------------
Total:  560   291  Total Score = 488,880

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

The goal for this contest was to work as many multipliers as possible
with an eye towards increasing my band-country totals.  A secondary
goal was to see if I could pull together enough motivation to attempt
some sort of competitive single band 160 entry.  The first goal was
met.  I worked 3 new ones: Antarctica, Lebanon, and Mongolia.  I
certainly worked a number of new 10 meter countries.  Goal number is
probably a no-go.  I just get too frustrated with the incessant QRM
to dig too deeply into the 160 band to work all of the countries I
heard.  So the motivation didn't materialize, and I didn't stay up
late or get up early.

I had 6-band contacts with D4C, TO2T, and TO5A.  As expected, I had
several 5-band contacts like 9A1A where the missing band was 10
meters.  Strangely, I had several more 5-band contacts where the
missing band was 40 meters.

I had one slightly weird/amusing malfunction: I use a homebrew remote
antenna switch to switch the antennas where they enter the house and
run a single coax to the shack.  I have 4 antennas and three switch
positions (too lazy to wire up the last one).  So I swap out the
160/80 vertical for the 10 meter beam between night and day.

The 160/80-alt-10 position developed an intermittent open circuit with
the following behavior: I can transmit through it, but while receiving
no signal gets through.  I discovered this problem when I went to
investigate why I couldn't hear anything on 10 meters but buzzing
noises when the spotting network reported the band open.  I bypassed
the problem, but I wonder how much I missed during the CW weekend.

Oh well, live and learn.  But I had fun.  It was all search & pounce
between spells of parenting duty.  I was amazed at how often I was
able to break through a small pile-up with just a vertical antenna.
This contesting thing might be even more fun when I get the beam up
this summer.

Equipment: Icom IC-765, ETO 91B (K8ND loaner), 13 Beverages

TX antennas, no longer "all verticals, all the time":
160: 65 foot "T" vertical and 75 radials
 80: 4 wire cage around 160 vertical, 45 feet tall, folded back along guys
 40: full size ground mounted vertical and 32 radials.
 20: full size metal barn roof mounted vertical.
 15: 40 meter vertical.
 10: 3 element yagi at 30 feet


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