[3830] SS CW VA7RR Single Op LP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: VA7RR
Operator(s): VA7RR
Station: VA7RR

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:   81
   40:  189
   20:  366
   15:  375
   10:   68
------------
Total: 1079  Sections = 83  Total Score = 179,114

Club: 

Comments:

This one was a lot of really hard work - I felt like I'd been through a 48 hour
contest after it was over.

   I was hopeful that 20 would stay open longer into Saturday evening, which
would keep me from having to fight it out on 40 and 80, where the station here
at my home QTH is not so competitive.  It closed to the east too early at 02Z
on Saturday and even earlier at 01Z on Sunday.  Ten was also real disappointing
- in hindsight my decision to stay there for the first 45 minutes (for 73 total
QSOs that hour - 13 of them on 15M) was a mistake - rarely did more than one
station call at a time, and a lot of CQs went unanswered.  When I QSYed to 15,
things picked up to normal expectations.  Conditions on 10 on Sunday were poor
- no rate, and only a few additions to the log in S&P mode.  Rates of around 50
an hour for most of Sunday kept things fairly interesting. 

   I've been spending some time the past month recabling inside at my home
station.  The intent is to make it a more of a "permanent" set-up.  I do a fair
amount of guest operating, and it's not unusual for me to rip parts of the
cabling and station accessories apart and take them with me to the host's
location. I'm in the process of creating extra sets so that I can leave the
home setup intact. I also changed positions of some of the station accessories
as well, and I think it helped with some ergonomic efficiencies while operating
in this SS. 

   I've also been working on the drive for the motorized US tower crankup. 
Last month I discovered that the motor had failed - too much water had rusted
parts of it and destroyed the start and run caps.  I replaced it, and devised a
shroud to shield the motor from rain (it rains a lot in Vancouver), and all
seemed good until the morning of SS CW when the motor drive belt started
slipping and the tower would not raise.  I was able to "finese it" up to
position (partially by turning the gear drive by hand).  Yesterday I replaced
the belt, and it seems to be working properly.  However, I will be holding my
breath when I raise the tower for Phone SS next weekend.

     Thank to everyone for the QSOs.

73,
Gary
VA7RR


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