[3830] NAQP SSB KK7AC Single Op LP

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                    North American QSO Party, SSB - August

Call: KK7AC
Operator(s): KK7AC
Station: KK7AC

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: AZ
Operating Time (hrs): 9.9

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:   48    19
   40:  114    24
   20:  581    57
   15:    2     1
   10:           
-------------------
Total:  745   101  Total Score = 75,245

Club: Arizona Outlaws Contest Club

Team: AZ Outlaw Scoundrels

Comments:

This story is almost out of something that Dan, K7IA describes during some of
his radio expeditions, I cant believe it happened to me. The worst felling one
can have as a contester is having something very important to your station go
down before or during the event. Mine began just 16 minutes, 23 QSO's,  into
the 2012 August NAQP. I did everything right â€" read the rules twice,
highlighted some of the rules, wrote down a band plan, charted last years
movements, set the VOX, made numerous voice memory keyer refinements to both my
CQ and reply, water, Mt. Dew, pens, scratch paper, my laminated state and
province abbreviations, synched up to WWV, ran 2 dummy calls in the logging
program... how could this happen to me? 

So, as I reflect back, I guess I recall smelling “heat” about 10 minuets
into the contest. After making a great opening run on 20 meters, QSO #23 had
just got into the log and then I hear nothing in my monitor. Double checked the
power to the keyer -all is good. The radio is still on and receiving , but no
TX. I removed my Heil Pro headset to hear dead silence; from the radio.
Normally you can hear the squirrel cage fan running, but not this time. I knew
immediately the problem â€" the PA over heated and folded back the transceiver.
The fan stopped working. I was initially surprised since I had just not only an
hour ago tuned the radio to 100 watts PEP, so it could not have been that bad
right? It's only 100 watts?! All I knew was that I had planned a 30 minute
break sometime around 0100, not now. I wanted to do it on my own terms, not
over a broken radio. After the initial freak out, I knew the only way to get
back in to this was pull the radio from it's comfortable position and do a
quick triage assessment of what I could salvage of the radio much less the
contest. Once on the kitchen table, I could see that the 4 transistors were
intact and clean. I then made a makeshift operating position and strategically
placed 2 fans over the heat sinks and PA with the cover off the rig to keep it
cool. I adjusted to 50 watts PEP and gave it a try. It seemed to work as I got
back on the saddle at 1849- only 32 minutes! I made my “30 minute minimum”
off time! 

So, limping along at 50 watts, no DSP filter, a make shift TV tray operating
position and a bad attitude (Something like this takes a lot out of your
“fun” sails, let me tell you) I cranked it out with the best of them on 20
meters until 0227 when I took my next break for dinner. Worked 40 from 0258 to
0411, then to 75 until the end at 0458. Great conditions on 20, 40 and 75. 15
got me a total of 2 Q's. 10 I did not even bother to check. 745 in all, so all
was not a wash. 

This is one I will not soon forget. I am already planning for next years NAQP.


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