[3830] ARRLDX SSB N8BJQ SOAB HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: N8BJQ
Operator(s): N8BJQ
Station: N8BJQ

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: OH
Operating Time (hrs): 27
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   18    16
   80:   63    44
   40:  141    60
   20:  310    79
   15:  645    90
   10:  223    56
-------------------
Total: 1400   345  Total Score = 1,443,825

Club: SWODXA

Comments:

Friday night was a real struggle. Rain static and QRN from the storms was the
loudest I have heard in a long time.  Could only hear the strongest of
stations.  Rain static caused me to stop a couple of times on 40.  40M SSB is
terrible.  From 7125 - 7200 is a solid wall of QRM.  A very few EU stations are
loud enough to make it thru. 160 was brutal.  Only heard and worked CR2 from EU.
 20 was decent but nearly impossible to find a run frequency.  Rain static on
Saturday AM was really bad (as was the rain).  With all the water around the
house, I felt like I was on an island.  The creek across the road was way above
flood stage and runoff from the fields kept much of the yard under water.  the
new sump pump (installed on Thursday after the rains earlier in the week
drowned the old one and left 3 1/2 feet of water in the crawl space) kept the
water out.  First day was entirely S&P.  Made about 750 Q's in between the
breaks.  Woke up Sunday AM, worked a few JA's on 40 and RC9O on 80 and then
went to 15 which was wide open.  Found a relatively clear spot way up the band
and called CQ for about 5 min before someone heard me.  Had about 4 good hours
on 15 and then checked 10 and was amazed to hear loud EU with the antennas
actually pointed at EU. Went up to around 28.6 and called CQ and had a 120Q's
later the pileup went away.  Have not had that much fun on 10 in several years.
 Nice to work loud stations on a quiet band.  Lots of 5 and 100 watt stations
called in.  Finished up the afternoon between 15 and 20 working what I could -
lots of JA's on 15.  

Nothing broke.  Used the DVR in the K3 and the built in memories on the Pro3. 
Really saves the voice.  A few issues with the K3 DVR quitting in the middle of
a transmission - a power of/on fixed it but not sure what caused it.  May have
been N1MM sending something.  Will play with it before WPX a the end of the
month.

Missed a few hours when my great grandson came over and I got to assemble a
Thomas the Train set and spend some quality time with him.  Did get him to
listen to a bit of the contest.  He can sit and turn knobs just like he knows
what he is doing.  

Sure is nice to see 10M open up.  Hope that is a sign of good things to come
for a few years.  

Back on the road next week.  Home for WPX SSB I hope.

K3, Pro 3
Dishtronix DX2400L
Monobanders - 10 thru 40
Vertical and dipole for 80
Inv L for 160


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