[3830] ARRLDX SSB N4RV(KE3X) SOAB HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: N4RV
Operator(s): KE3X
Station: N4RV

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Oakton, VA
Operating Time (hrs): 38.5
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   28    23
   80:   69    42
   40:  299    71
   20:  861    91
   15: 1006    92
   10:  146    46
-------------------
Total: 2409   365  Total Score = 2,637,855

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Many thanks to Jack, N4RV for hosting me again and helping with pre-contest
planning and strategy!   This was the first time I had attempted a pseudo-full
time SOAB effort in a 48-hour DX contest, and I had a lot to learn about
propagation, sleep, multipliers, band strategy and so forth.   My goals
beforehand were:

- operate between 40-42 hours (ended at 38.5, close enough)
- hit 2,500 QSO's and/or 2.5MM points (missed the Q's but got the points)
- see what a two-day SO2R Phone contest feels like (no comment :-)

All the equipment worked fine all weekend and Murphy gracefully stayed out of
the picture.   This was a real workout for my Phone SO2R skills (or lack of
them ...) which should hopefully pay off in Sweepstakes next year!   Also I
learned some good lessons about being aggressive on the low bands.  The first
two nights I didn't try to run on 40 - big mistake.  Finally at 5PM local time
Sunday I found 7.162 open and started CQ'ing.  This led immediately to a
frequency fight with a Eastern European multi who was 1.2 khz lower, followed
by a 100-hour into Europe :-)   [Since when does 1.2 khz spacing lead to a
frequency fight when you are 5,000 miles from a guy, anyway?  I guess that was
confirmation of how loud Jack's station can be ...]

Had some fast runs on both 15- and 20- with the 10-minute rate meter up above
300 a few times when I got spotted.  Note to self:  move more mults next time. 
 Best moment was being called by Saudia Arabia on 40M with 30 minutes to go in
the contest - sweet!

73,

Ken KE3X

Configuration at N4RV:
2 x FT-1000's w/DX Doubler, Alpha 87, Henry
10/15:  4-over-4 stacks, lower ones fixed on Europe, top rotatable
10-20:  Bencher Skyhawk
40:     wire beam fixed NE
80:     dipoles
160:    Inv-L


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/