[3830] ARRLDX CW K1LT SOAB HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Ohio EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 34

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   63    35
   80:  130    54
   40:  190    66
   20:  761    99
   15:  812    88
   10:  116    51
-------------------
Total: 2072   393  Total Score = 2,436,993

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

The goal this year was to make more than 2000 QSOs, despite the fact
that I could not dedicate the entire weekend to the contest.  I had
parenting duty.  I decided not to attempt any kind of a worthy single
band 160 effort, which was fortuitous, since yet another new
noise-of-the-week raised the noise floor by almost 20 db in the
direction of Europe.

Just before the WPX RTTY test last week, the SWR on the X7 went to
infinity, apparently while I turned the antenna.  Since the weather
was lousy, I couldn't examine the problem until the Wednesday before
the DX contest.  SWR checks showed that the problem was a short
somewhere in the feedline between the bottom and the top of the tower.
So Friday I made plans to swap out the coax on the tower.  While doing
so, I found the problem to be a Type N barrel connector in which the
center pin did not mate with the pin on the plug.  So, even though
there was continuity through the center pin, the improper mechanical
alignment set up a potential short which Murphy cheerfully manifested
just before the RTTY contest.

Saturday morning, my child was sick, so I divided my time between the
contest and keeping her comfortable.  Fortunately she was content to
watch movies and play with her electronics.  Despite the frequent
interruptions, I still managed my best ever single hour, 169 QSOs in
the 1300Z hour on 15 meters.

Sunday morning, my child was feeling much better, so the interruption
rate was somewhat less.  I managed a 154 QSO hour followed by a 141
QSO hour on 15 meters, and then a 167 QSO hour a little later on 20.

I'm pretty satisfied with the final result.  On a child-free weekend
with a little advance planning, maybe another 200 QSOs might be
possible.  I need a bigger signal on 40 meters, and I need to figure
out how to stay awake all night.

The surprise multiplier was 9N1II at 0100Z the first evening on 20
meters.  A second set of surprise multipliers was DV1/JO7KMB and
E21EIC around 1600Z the first morning on 20 meters.

Thanks for all the QSOs, especially to all those who travel to make
the weekend so much fun.

Equipment: K3, ETO 91B (thanks K8ND for the eternal loan); 160: 65
foot "Tee" & 60 radials; 80: "cage" around the "Tee" plus antenna
tuner which needs returned for nearly every contact; 40: full sized
ground mounted vertical; 20-10: Cushcraft X7 up 62 feet; and 12
Beverages and a phased array.


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