[3830] WPX CW KJ3X(K4XS) SOSB20 HP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: KJ3X
Operator(s): K4XS
Station: K4XS

Class: SOSB20 HP
QTH: FL
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:     
   40:     
   20: 1512
   15:     
   10:     
------------
Total: 1512  Prefixes = 744  Total Score = 2,481,914

Club: Florida Contest Group

Comments:

This one was a heartbreaker.  Using NQ4I's log as a "milemarker" I
shut off the rig after the first night ahead of Rick's MM 20 meter score from
2012.  I thought that was pretty good since we were having some big solar
storms.  Murphy was visitedcausing problems with the N1MM and the keying
hanging up from time to time on the rig.  I simply recycled the K-3 and that
usually took care of it.  However, they became more and more frequent later in
the day when I went back on and now were sometimes accompanied by the K-3
resetting itself to 0 watts and only putting out 10 watts.  I shut down the rig
around 0100 the second night since the band had become almost empty...good time
to shut it down for any hour.  

I got back on an hour later and began to have a low rate run and then it
happened....no matter how many times I recylced the K-3 it would not put out
more than 10 watts. I cursed, tapped the rig a bit, and even got the manual
out.  Nothing. Time to QRT.

Next morning I decided to give it another try and see if I could reach 2000 Qs
in 30 hours (since that was about how much time was left) if the K-3 would let
me.  Surprise, the K-3 now worked just fine.  I got on around 1300Z and peeled
off a 70 hour, and then Murphy came back.  Only 10 watts output.  Now matter
what I did...no luck.  Final QRT.  

No doubt in my mind I could have reached 900 mults and 2300 Qs in the next 16
hours if the K-3 hadn't gotten balky.

A word about signals...lots of wiiiiddde clicky signals.  They weren't just in
my ears.  You could see them on the Elecraft P-3 scope.  The CQWW committee is
going to be attacking that.  I'd like to see the WPX committee do the same.

My hat is off to the guys who can copy 4-digit numbers at 40 WPM.  I wish I
could.

I'll be back next year and hopefully the K-3 won't be giving me fits.  I've had
it since 2007 and it's the first time it has let me down.


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