[3830] ARRLDX SSB N4KG SO Unlimited HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: N4KG
Operator(s): N4KG +PACKET
Station: N4KG

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: ALA
Operating Time (hrs): 30

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   12    11
   80:   85    46
   40:  144    68
   20:  250    86
   15:  287    91
   10:  235    80
-------------------
Total: 1013   382  Total Score = 1,160,898

Club: Alabama Contest Group

Comments:

As usual, I focused on Multipliers and only did S&P with packet assistance.

I think Old Age has finally caught up with me and I can no longer push as hard
as I used to (e.g. Friday night I quit at 0800Z instead of my typical 0900Z,
missing the 80M opening South of the Equator to CX, LU and OA4SS).  

Saturday evening I felt as if I had been hit by a Train, took a 2 hour nap from
0200 to 0400, missing most of the Asian opening on 20 Meters, operating
ineffectively for a couple of hours and then sleeping again for another 4
hours.  I'm sure I missed several more Low Band mults modulating the pillow!

I also focused on Multi-Band Contacts with the following results:

6 Bands - 9 stations (I was barefoot on 160M - 6 Band Amp died)
5 Bands - 32 
4 Bands - 37
3 Bands - 43
2 Bands - 71
1 Band - 380

How could I work PS2T on 5 Bands and only work 6V7S on 10M ?
Maybe the Sunday afternoon Nap had something to do with that...

I finally decided to try out the Icom 756 PRO III that I bought a year ago.
It took some getting used to but I LOVED those DSP Filters which I set up for
2.4, 2.0, and 1.8 KHz BW with a Soft Filter response.  I rarely changed from
the 2.0 KHz setting, with the passband shifted down 100 to 200 Hz.  That
combination made SSB contesting -almost palatible-...

The Voice Recorder came in handy at dinner time and seemed to get through the
pileups better than calling live on the Mic.  I probably should have used it
more often...

My ancient (and reliable) SB-220 performed flawlessly all weekend.

My 80M NE Sloper from 120 ft performed amazingly well on both 80 and 40 Meters
supplemented to the West by my 80M Elevated GP and 40M corner fed Delta Loop at
48 ft.
 
On the High Bands, my TH7 at 40 ft was also amazing, aided by a D3 Dipole at 60
ft aimed at JA / S.A., accounting for probably 75% of my SA/Carib mults.  Packet
pileups sometimes called for turning the beam.

Tom N4KG in North Alabama


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