[3830] SS CW N1LN SO Unlimited HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: N1LN
Operator(s): N1LN
Station: N1LN

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 22.5
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  406
   40:  439
   20:  266
   15:   17
   10:     
------------
Total: 1128  Sections = 80  Total Score = 180,480

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

I really tried to work the entire 24 hours but by late Sunday it was game over. 
The hourly rate was down to about 25, even with SO2R.   I had my choice of
having dinner with my wife or working 90 more minutes that might have added
approximately 35 to 40 Qs.   We had dinner and enjoyed the rest of Sunday
evening.

>From my QTH the band conditions seemed good.  The noise level on 40 and 80 were
a bit higher than expected, but my beverages managed to eliminate that issue and
made for an enjoyable time.   The good news and bad news is that they are VERY
directional on both bands.  Great F/B and F/S but that great performance
resulted in a few call sign repeat requests until the correct direction could
be determined.  I always seemed to be called by a station from a different
compass heading than the one currently selected.  My favorite band of the
weekend award goes to 80 meters on Saturday night / Sunday morning.   I ran on
3553 for about 3 hours with an hourly average rate of 75.   This turned out to
be my highest FULL HOUR rates of the contest.  With the long exchange and cw
speed variability (I cut my speed back to that of the calling station) my
highest burst rate was only at 110.   I believe the potential for repeat
requests were much lower by cutting the speed back.

I had three goals for the contest.  Goal 1 as to work the entire 24 hours. 
Well, as you already read, I failed at that one.   Goal 2 was to beat my score
from last year.  Well, I failed at that one also, missing by about 80 Qs.  Goal
3 was to work a sweep.   That one I made.   On Sunday morning, at 0441z, I
worked NP4Z for mult number 79 on 40 meters through one huge pileup before he
went split.   Mult 80 came early Sunday morning, at about 1201z, just after I
got back on the air after about 3 hours sleep.   Much to my surprise and
pleasure, VY1EI called me while I was running on 40 meters.  I tried to work
him late Saturday on 15, but only west coast stations were getting through, so
I decided to wait.  When he called in copy was good, but by EXCHANGE sending
time the QSO number part of the exchange was trouble.  This QSO, and mult, wer
both at risk. That was the one time the beverages did not pull me through. 
Later on Sunday I worked VY0JA on 15 to firm up the sweep.  DONE.

See you in a couple weeks for SSB.

73,
Bruce â€" N1LN


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