[3830] CQWW CW N1EN SOAB(A) LP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: N1EN
Operator(s): N1EN
Station: N1EN

Class: SOAB(A) LP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   17     5        6
   80:  155    15       61
   40:  374    25       89
   20:  505    32      107
   15:  373    28       94
   10:  378    26       99
------------------------------
Total: 1802   131      456  Total Score = 3,013,658

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

Rookie overly, but SOAB(A)Rookie wasn't an option on the submittal form.

Man, that was fun.

Conditions weren't as good as earlier in the week, but they were still great
enough for lots o fun.   This was mostly an S&P effort, and I essentially
never ran out of stations to work.

A lot of things came together here just in time for the contest:

* A couple of weeks ago, I acquired a YCCC SO2R box, replacing the Rude
Goldberg setup I had in past attempts to pretend at SO2R.

* Last weekend, I *finally* got my 40m delta loop to play nicely.  I managed to
badly slice my thumb in the process; perhaps the blood sacrifice provided the
necessary mojo.

* 30 hours before the start of the contest, my first beam went up over the
shack.  (Third attempt; Murphy intervened in two prior attempts.)

Combine that with the good conditions, and it sure was a lot of fun.

I had two goals going into this contest:

* Improve on last year's claimed score (1083 Q's, 1.5m points)
* Make a good-faith effort to go after the North American rookie plaque.

I met the first goal by the time I went to bed Saturday night.   I kept on
Sunday because of the second goal...and because I was having a blast.  Sunday
afternoon, I began to wonder if I'd pass the 3m mark...which I did with about 4
minutes left in the test.  (It's unlikely to survive log-checking, naturally.)

I wish I had had more opportunity to play with the new additions to the station
before going into battle.   For example, I realized very quickly during my short
attempts at running that I need a LOT  more practice before I attempt running
while working SO2R.  However, I did quickly hit the right rhythm to work dual
click-and-pounce (to great effect, it seems).

Also, I learned something about the new antenna installation -- the support
structure (aluminum military mast sections) will rotate on its own, especially
in the wind.  Saturday afternoon/evening, I was amazed at the magic of long
path (something that is a somewhat abstract concept when you've only known wire
antennas)....and when I went out Sunday morning to see how the antenna was doing
in the gusty wind, I noticed that the antenna was facing 180 degrees from the
direction shown on the rotor controller.   After that, I got in the habit of
sticking my head out the shack window to see which way the antenna was facing,
whenever I needed to stretch my legs, or before targeting a different part of
the world....and figuring that out just made Sunday that much more fun.  I
probably could have squeezed out a few more Q's, however, if I hadn't been
distracted by playing with the new toys.

I wonder if winter will hold off here long enough to figure out what I can do
about my poor top band DX situation....but perhaps that's something I can worry
about after I earn a few brownie points with the XYL, to start replenishing the
supply I burned through to make this weekend possible here.

Man, that was fun!  Thanks for the Q's!

Station:
* K3 + Icom 7000, both barefoot
* NA4RR hexbeam @ 7 meters; 80m Carolina Windom @ 20 meters; 160m Carolina
Windom @ 12 meters; 40m delta loop
* YCCC SO2R box
* N1MM Logger
* In-shack AR Cluster for spot aggregation

Don't laugh at the beam height.  It works, and is stealthy enough to appease
the spouse...although she may kill me when she notices where a couple of guys
are anchored.


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