[3830] SS SSB N3UM Single Op HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB

Call: N3UM
Operator(s): N3UM
Station: N3UM

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: MD
Operating Time (hrs): 19

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  468
   40:   96
   20:  212
   15:  194
   10:    3
------------
Total:  973  Sections = 80  Total Score = 155,680

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

My goals this year: break 150 K claimed for the first time 
(vs 149.5 K last year!) and get an SSB sweep for the 
second time (first was in '06).  I was pleased to do both: 
claimed 155.7 K, and found NT on 20 m. at 0013 Z for nr. 80.
I started on 20 m., 17 min. late.  Good rate for 2.5 hr, mostly 
running.  Went to 40 m. at 2340 Z after 20 m. rate dropped 
abruptly.  As usual, I just could not get much going on 40 m. 
SSB, neither running nor fast S&P: after 38 Qs in 45 min., 
I went to 80 at 0030 and did much better: ~80 QSOs/hr for 
2.5 hr., then a 42-min. break, 18 Qs in 18 min, and finally 
~70 QSOs/hr for 2 hr.  At 06 Z, 01 EST, I had 516 QSOs and 
72 sections vs 511 and 71 last year, and decided to literally 
quit while I was ahead instead of pushing on for an hour or so
more as I've done in recent years.  I'm nominally recovered   
from surgery done 10/7, but did not want to push it.
Sun. AM starting at 12 Z, 40 m. was flat: made only 68 Qs 
and no mults before the rate dropped, vs. 118 Qs and 3 semi- 
rare mults last year.  Then, 20 m. was only slightly better, 
80 Qs in 1.8 hr. and the last medium-rare mults (SF, SK, MB).
I went to 10 m. for only 15 min. and got my first PR QSO, with 
KH2RU/KP4, his nr. 161, then for insurance WP4I, his nr. 9.  He 
was gamely learning the SS exchange as he went.  The sweep 
came with ~3 hr. to spare at 0013 when I found VE8EV for 
NT up near 14.3 for his nr. 1586 B, easy copy, no pileup, 
after searching 15 m. for NTs and finding none. For several 
years I've found lots of Qs on 80 m. in the last 3 hr. of SSB SS, 
lots of casual ops with nr. <200.  This year, less so: 61 fewer 
QSOs than in the last 3 hr. in 2010.  In the end, 15 and 10 m. put 
me over the top with 27 more total QSOs than my previous best in 
2010, despite getting 104 fewer total QSOs on 80 and 66 fewer on 
40 and 20 combined.  I did it with 1.3 fewer hours BIC.


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