[3830] SS SSB K9CT Single Op HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB

Call: K9CT
Operator(s): K9CT
Station: K9CT

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:  332
   40:  603
   20:  177
   15:  105
   10:  339
------------
Total: 1556  Sections = 80  Total Score = 248,960

Club: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

Another field day style setup at the new contest station with all the issues of
operating a station that has not been tested. I had to tear down the station
Friday because of electrical work being done in the shack. Saturday was a
flurry of work. 

Progress has been made since CW and had better access to antennas and rotation.
Setup a 3 element Steppir with 40m loop at 40 foot and a 60' 80m dipole....key
antennas for SS. I checked several times during the contest and these antennas
play better than higher antennas and gain antennas for most contacts. 

The rate was pretty good in the first few hours and like CW weekend found 10m
was good to the west coast with good rate. Slid down the bands as the prop
changed. Took my first break at about 11 hours and had 79 sections before
taking a short sleep on the floor. 

Sunday was a difficult day. I had some trouble finding the right band to be on
to run. It seemed like skip was long and not favorable for me to anywhere. If I
heard strong signals from the coasts, they were working over my head. I jumped
to almost every band trying to find the right place but no rate. Too many times
I had EU calling me and had to dissuade them from calling! Just crazy.....

One problem that I could not conquer was the induced RFI in my SO2R setup. I
just did not have time to work this out and this made listening the to second
radio a pain plus the issues of listening to such harsh monitor audio was
tiring. This will be resolved!!!

All in all, it was a great shake down for a domestic contest and I learned a
great deal for next time. The score is less than last year and I attribute that
to the less than favorable prop on Sunday or my basic bad decisions as to where
to be. I listened to NA border stations racking them up and just could not
duplicate their pileups. 

Getting the sweep is the second contest within this contest. It was so cool to
run into VY1EI on 10m before the contest and had him in my second radio as the
contest started....no way was I going to let NT go to last. Ended up with FOUR
NT stations!! My last four mults were VT, VI, ND and PR. PR was last for me and
found NP4A about 1845 Z on 10M working a station. I tried calling him but it was
not his freq so I took a chance and moved up about 5 with an antenna at PR and
called CQ. Within 3 minutes, he found me and I was his contact #92. How cool is
that? He said he had heard me call but did not want to use the other stations
QRG, so he searched me out....very nice. So then I did my usual giddy sweep
dance as another goal was met. 

Another chapter on ARRL SS closes for another year...great to run into so many
friends during the test. 

73 and CU in CQ WW CW.

Craig K9CT


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