[3830] SS CW K6VVA Single Op HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: K6VVA
Operator(s): K6VVA
Station: K6VVA

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: RF Hole QTH
Operating Time (hrs): 14

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  171
   40:  187
   20:  237
   15:   65
   10:     
------------
Total:  660  Sections = 76  Total Score = 100,320

Club: Northern California Contest Club

Comments:

Due to serious lower back problems for the past 2 months and horrific Sciatic
Nerve pain, SS did not appear to be in the cards for me this year.  My
Chiropractor (I've nicknamed Dr. Awesome) has helped greatly, but for 2 months
I've eaten 95% of my meals standing up as well as minimally using the notebook
confuzer on top of an empty wine box on the kitchen table.  It has been too
painful to sit.  So much for any butt-in-the-chair contesting ;-(

About a half hour before the start of SS, I decided to try and
maybe-make-a-few-SS-Q's if my new industrial strength Orthopedic cushion would
mitigate the uncomfortableness of sitting for a while.  Not a thrilling
proposition, as I opt'd to operate from the home RF Hole QTH with 500w to a low
A3S and low inverted vees on 40/80m and no packet.

I decided to S&P on 15m, and after 12 Q's, ran across VY1EI at S9 plus 10dB
with few callers.  I started having fantasies of maybe making a Clean Sweep the
good old fashioned way (no packet). Then the packet cluster mob was unleashed. 
He couldn't copy me, and after 20 minutes of calling, my back and butt were
both bothering me, so I said {explicative deleted} this, turned everything off,
and went to the couch where I slept for 2 hours.

When I got up, I felt better and decided I had better at least make another
whack at making a few more Q's for the club effort.   I had to frequently stand
up, but after some hours expended to reach a goal of 200 Q's, I pushed myself to
make 250 before hanging up my SS jock this year.  My back was tight and so I
headed for the treadmill (on SLOW) to try and walk-out-the-tension.  That
didn't work, so I crawled on the couch and went to sleep.  Discovering that the
contest confuzer I was using didn't have the time clock mod and that the first
48 Q's were all one hour off in the log was additional irritation.

Woke up at Zero-Dark-Thirty and tried to work out the kinds, and feeling a bit
better, decided to continue the Masochism.  Beat myself up for a while on the
air and went back to the couch again for several hours of sleep.  Then I did
the same #&^! thing again ... got back on the air, but discovered if I took a
second Orthopedic butt cushion and put it behind my back, this helped immensely
beyond the usual lumbar support, and it kinda-sorta molded into the shape of my
back.  Necssity is indeed the mother of invention (or experimentation).

My horizons expanded to possibly making 500 Q's, so did the on and off thing
again during the day and watched some TV laying on the couch in between
napping.  The fantasy of making a clean sweep without packet resurfaced, but
that dream eventually bit the dust.  Once I got to 500 Q's, I decided to
stretch myself to 100,000 points.  That was the final straw.  When the counter
passed the 100K mark, I turned everything off and headed for food.

For anyone starting to have lower back related problems due to a lot of
butt-in-the-chair time (even for non-radio stuff), do yourself a favor and
check out the DELUXE ORTHODPEDIC CUSHION at http://www.relaxobak.com ... I've
just ordered several more beyond the two purchased a month ago.  My back
problems escalated from 10 to 12 hours a day/night for several months sitting
in an uncomfortable chair using a confuzer.  Sitting for lengthy periods doing
anything is NOT good ;-(

The final verdict won't be in for a while as to whether any future serious
contesting here will be QRT for good.

73 & Tnx for the Q's and Mults...

Rick, K6VVA * The Locust


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