[3830] ARRL Jan VHF K1TEO Single Op HP

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                    ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes

Call: K1TEO
Operator(s): K1TEO
Station: K1TEO

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: FN31/CT
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:  268    55
    2:  250    41
  222:  106    32
  432:  129    32
  903:   32    15
  1.2:   40    18
  2.3:   16    10
  3.4:   12     7
  5.7:    9     7
  10G:    7     5
  24G:           
-------------------
Total:  869   222  Total Score = 361,416

Club: North East Weak Signal Group

Comments:

Glad I was able to get on at all for this contest. I have been having severe
back issues since mid-December. A week before the contest the contest I visited
the surgeon and he said immediate surgery was needed and told me to be there on
Tuesday. My first reaction was "great - pain relief coming". Second was, uh oh,
what about the contest? I think I've been on every year for the last 35 or so
and likely 44 of the last 45 (missed one while I was in college). Knowing I
would be in the hospital at least a few days all I could do was hope somehow by
Saturday I would be able to move enough to get on.

By Saturday I was able to get up and move around - very slowly. Though my XYL
thought I was nuts I decided to give it a try. I was smart enough to cancel all
late night wsjt skeds so at least I would get a decent night of sleep. The first
hour was both good and bad. I was able to make 98 QSO's - not bad. But I had to
stand every 3 or 4 minutes and operate that way. I just could not sit for long
at all. After that I would get up and walk around every 20 minutes or so and
once very couple of hours lay down for awhile. It seemed to work and I made it
through most of Saturday in decent shape. I wouldn't say the same for the bands
- condx seemed so-so and activity (despite the nice first hour) really tailed
off pretty quickly. From what others have told me there was a decent 6 meter
opening Saturday evening but I was on the other bands for most of that time and
just found the very end of the opening to work 4 stations on e-skip. 

After a decent night of sleep, I found it that much harder to stay in the chair
on Sunday. So I continued the routine - operate standing much of the time, hall
walks and bed rest and as much operating as possible. I lasted most of the day
with this approach but around 4pm my 2M amp had a problem. I was using a
temporary amp and it was relatively easy to switch to my regular 8877 amp -
except I was so tired by then it took an hour to make the change even with help
from my xyl (who by now was totally convinced I was nuts to be on at all). From
5pm on I was so tired I only operated in short spurts, needing to rest much of
the time. I did find the 6 meter opening from about 2320z until 0000z and
worked about 10 new grids during that time. Nice surprise to get some January
contest e-skip 2 days in a row, even if there were not many stations on to
work. After the e-skip I only operated minimally as I was totally gassed - I
actually pulled the plug for good early something I never do....

As others have said, with the windy condx both 6 and 2 had very high QRN
levels. Sometimes I'd work a station on 2M that was difficult to copy who was
arm chair copy on 222 and 432 because they had no noise. 

Overall, activity levels continue to drop which is a shame. I worked very few
rovers, with only N2ZBH and KJ1K worked in several grids - tnx Sigurd and Buck
for your efforts. Microwave totals are way down these days - once upon a time I
used to work a half dozen stations or more in CT on 2304. I think it was two
this time around. The Packrats still provide most of the mcirowave activity in
this contest and that is greatly appreciated though this time around I worked
fewer than usual.

Tnx for the Q's and hopefully I will be a lot healthier in 2014!

Jeff K1TEO


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