[3830] SS SSB K9YC SO Unlimited HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB

Call: K9YC
Operator(s): K9YC
Station: K9YC

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

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:  170
   40:  258
   20:  409
   15:  201
   10:  261
------------
Total: 1299  Sections = 80  Total Score = 207,840

Club: Northern California Contest Club

Comments:

This was another personal best, and only the second time I've done a full time
effort from my home QTH. Two K3s, each driving a Titan amp, YCCC SO2R box.
Everything worked. I'm finally starting to get the hang of this SO2R stuff. I'm
feeling like the main thing limiting me at this point is a somewhat higher
horizon than the big guns.

As always, especially in SSB contests, it's really frustrating to suffer
massive splatter from lids who don't know (or care) how to adjust their mic
gain, computer playback, and compression. K3MIM, operating at W3LPL, was only
one of hundreds of operators in this category -- her sidebands were killing me
5 kHz down the band, but she failed to fix it, even when I complained several
times about it. Voice messages are often recorded with excessive background
noise, and that background noise creates more splatter. Voice messages are also
recorded with excessive lows, which wastes TX power, and also increases
splatter. N8II was in this category, and he killed me when he set up shop 2kHz
away on 10M. Computer sound cards also produce distortion when they are
overloaded, and even when they are operated too close to max output even when
not clipping -- the distortion in mine is 10dB lower if I turn the output level
down by 6dB. Ditto for those who insist on using older radios that transmit much
greater phase noise, rather than upgrade to cleaner rigs like the K3. Indeed,
the P3 spectrum display for the K3 clearly exposes the huge differences between
the good guys and the LIDS.  

Being an appliance operator, and being in love with outdated gear are CAUSES,
not an acceptable EXCUSE. If you can afford high power, a QTH on a hill, or a
big antenna farm, you can afford decent gear -- in fact, you OWE it to your
fellow contesters to use it! Transmitting massive splatter, phase noise, and
clicks are like running down the basketball court with your elbows flying and
your feet tripping the other players. It's LONG past time for us to insist that
these LIDS clean up their acts.  It is simply not fair that the biggest,
dirtiest signals give them an advantage over the cleaner stations.

73, Jim K9YC


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