[3830] SS SSB WE9V(KB9OWD) SO Unlimited HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB

Call: WE9V
Operator(s): KB9OWD
Station: WE9V

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: WI
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  174
   40:  892
   20:  519
   15:  156
   10:   65
------------
Total: 1806  Sections = 83  Total Score = 299,796

Club: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

My main rig developed an issue on receive (again) and was out of play.  Doing SS
on the backup rig didn't sound too appealing so I put out a note on the local
reflector and received a prompt reply from Chad, WE9V offering the use of his
station as he was not planning an all out effort.  We discussed the idea of a
small multi op or single op and decided I would go single op.  K9MU had just
finished his tower and I knew he was going LP.  In 17 years of this hobby, I
have done a lot of single op low power, a lot of multi ops however have never,
in 17 years, operated a single op contest with an amp.  So, I gave in to the
temptation of the fun factor and decided to go single op, high power,
unlimited.  I knew the WI record (owned by Chad) was within reach and thought
if conditions were alright, the central division record may also be within
reach.  This would also be my first contest doing SO2R.

I got off to a decent start however stayed up on the higher bands a bit too
long and should have gotten to 20 a bit quicker.  All in all, my best rates in
sweepstakes thus far.  The first 8 hours, with the exception of my band move
brain fade in hour 2, were all over 100 (117, 96, 114, 123, 126, 134, 109 and
105).  My best non clock hour was 140 from 0208 to 0307Z.  

40 was a bottomless pit with runs that just never stopped the first evening.  I
tried going down to 80 but, throughout the weekend, could not get anything going
there. I ran straight through until 0830Z and took 3 1/2 hours off 12Z.

Sunday was kind of a typical sweepstakes Sunday.  A lot of slow times
highlighted by huge noise from great Wisconsin weather.  We had a huge cold
front push through.  I got a text from my wife about a tornado watch... in
Wisconsin, in November, pretty much unheard of.  About 20 minutes behind that,
I heard a high pitch squeal out the shack window.  My initial thought was, leaf
blower, Chad is out doing yard work.  Nope, tornado siren.  This would go off
several times over the next hour and a half as waves of severe storms passed
by.  I should have better utilized off time here.  I had ALOT of stations call
that I could not pull out over storm noise in the area.  The static crashes at
times were 20 or more over 9 and frequent.  It was a real struggle from about
16Z to 19Z due to storms and the rate suffered.

I took one more hour off Sunday afternoon and returned at 2315Z, running
through to 0215Z.  Rate was alright for late on a Sunday, about a 60/hr
slugfest but callers kept coming at least.  I passed the Wisconsin record early
Saturday evening and went to bed with about 1,200 QSO's.  I passed the central
division record (255K) early Sunday afternoon and then set my sites on 300,000.
 Had the storms not impacted things, it would have come easy.  As it sits, I
fell 2 QSO's short.

Got the sweep Sunday morning about 15Z, NL being the last section.  The last
couple hold outs were NL and PR.  After it was all said and done, I ended up
with at least 2 of every section. This is by far my best effort in SS, my
previous QSO high with low power being about 1,200.  I had never passed the
200,000 mark.  Needless to say, I had a blast!

Top 5 sections represented in the log:

VA    98    
MDC   84    
NC    63     
WWA   56    
SCV   52    

Thanks so much to Chad for the use of the station and opening his home to me! 
The station played great, no visits from murphy.  Chad's station has 2 new
claimed SS division records in as many weeks!

Thanks for all the QSO's!  See you next weekend from K9CT in CQWW CW.

73,

Ryan KB9OWD


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