[3830] NAQP SSB AA4LR Single Op LP

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                    North American QSO Party, SSB - January

Call: AA4LR
Operator(s): AA4LR
Station: AA4LR

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

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   43    16
   80:  187    35
   40:  229    40
   20:   64    33
   15:   38    17
   10:   47     9
-------------------
Total:  608   150  Total Score = 91,200

Club: South East Contest Club

Team: SECC #1

Comments:

Antennas:
80/40m dipole at 10m (80/40m)
160m Inverted-L at 16m high (160, 20-10m)

Equipment:
Elecraft K3/100 with KAT3 running 100 watts
Heil Pro-set

Comments:

OK, this is my forth highest score in the phone version of this contest. And
that's just with a few wires and no towers and beams.

Got off to a bad start. I tried to adapt my K1KP-style voice keyer to the K3,
but the +8v on the microphone connector says it is limited to 10mA, and the
voice keyer draws too much power. Worked with it for a while, but it was pretty
clear that it was only delivering about 2.5v to the device. No good. Then I
toyed with the N1MM software, trying to get to to send audio to the K3. No
dice. By this time it is 1825z, and I've missed almost a half hour. I guess
I'll have to endure without a voice keyer.

10m was very busy with lots of signals and it was generally easy to work
someone. Sounded like conditions were pretty great. Bouncing between 10/15m, I
concentrated on working the louder signals. I'm reminded of advice that Randy
K5ZD gave me 22 years ago -- tune faster. At 1955z, I took a 40 minute time-out
to help my wife plant some bulbs. Yard-work done, back on at 2035z  with a scan
of 10m, 15m and then 20m. I tried a short run on 20m, but rates weren't great.

It is odd, the 160m Inverted-L was pretty effective on 10m, but not so much on
15m. 20m is just tough going without a beam. At 2200z, I went to 40m. Now, I
used to think that going to 40m before 0000z means you are losing. And with
conditions this good on the high bands, it seems I should eek out all I can up
there before going to the low bands. But experience has shown that 40m is often
productive before the sun goes down. I found a clear frequency and started to
call CQ. 

I think I had the best run ever in this contest. Rate meter hit over 300/hr on
the last 10 three different times. Totals were 165 Qs in about 83 minutes --
around 120/hr. All with a 80/40m trap dipole just 10m high. Had one weird
experience during the start of this run. After the first couple of contacts,
someone is obviously putting a carrier on me. It's ok, with the K3 auto-notch
filter, it goes away. What's worse, I tried sliding around a bit, but Mr.
Carrier moves with me. Then, he's moving his frequency around in my audio
passband. In the meantime, I'm just working stations around him - although the
auto-notch does make the audio sound weird, which does cause some additional
repeats. After about 15 minutes of this, Mr. Carrier got bored and went to play
with someone else. 

Scanned 20m a bit before taking an off-time for dinner just after 0000z. Back
on after 0100z, I realized there's no way for me to make the full contest time
of 10 hours -- there's just not quite enough contest time left. No off-time
strategy, just operating.

By this time, 10m and 15m have closed, but 20m has some life and needed mults.
Scan through 40m, and it's to 80m at 0220z. Mix of S & P and short runs. Hard
to hold a frequency on 80m. But those short runs worked to add needed Qs and
mults. At one point on 80m, a short burst pops the rate meter over 300 Q/hr
again. 

By 0350z, I head to 160m. Despite several attempts, I can't run here, but I can
contact most everyone I hear, so I scan the band and make some quick Qs. One
more bounce to 40m, and the rest of the night is spent between 80m and 160m.

Worked Mark, W4SVO on 15, 20 and 80m. We never did find each other on 40 or
160m.

I did confuse a few of the folks that know me by giving the name "George" as I
have done in the phone portion of NAQP since 2001. In fact, giving "George in
Georgia" causes quite a few people chuckle -- but it often gets through. Only
difficulty appears to be with non-english speakers in Cuba who needed several
tries to copy "George". 

Looking at my experience, I'd say that my Floyd county installation is pretty
effective on 40m and 80m, and could use a little improvement on 160m. But I
really need something more on 20m and 15m.


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