[3830] CQWW CW N4KG SOAB(A) HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

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

Class: SOAB(A) HP
QTH: ALA
Operating Time (hrs): 32

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   34    11       27
   80:  118    19       72
   40:  184    33      116
   20:  182    36      115
   15:  190    35      133
   10:  207    30      126
------------------------------
Total:  915   164      589  Total Score = 1,908,102

Club: Alabama Contest Group

Comments:

As usual, my focus was on working Multipliers, but this time I had finally
learned how to use the N1MM logging program with it's BandMap and Available
Multiplier List.  This log represents my Highest Multiplier Total, ever!

I spent Friday night and Saturday doing mostly Point-and-Click in the
Multiplier Box.  By Sunday I worked the List of available Mults to a few
(mostly busted) calls and started working 'fresh meat' from the Bandmap.

I ended up working fewer Multiband Q's than usual, mostly because of not paying
much attention to the Bandmap until late in the contest.  Point and Click
Contesting is a different game and leaves one with little 'feeling for the
bands' that is derived from actually tuning the bands.  

Unfortunately, I was not able to repair some broken ladderline feedlines to
various dipoles and my 80M elevated GP seems to be open, leaving me with an 80M
NE Sloper which worked amazingly well on 40 and 80M, a wire vertical for
80/inverted L for 160, TH7 at 40 ft and D3 Dipole fixed on JA/S.A. at 60 ft. 
Sadly, the TH7 Rotor indicator no longer functions but I trimmed a tree to
allow me to view the antenna during daytime.

My (relatively new to me) Icom 756PROiii worked Very Well and I would not have
been able to copy several stations from the Pacific without being able to
narrow the BW down to 50 Hz to live with probable Cable TV/internet
interference when beaming West.

As usual, I was unwilling to stop operating at midnight Friday because 40M was
so HOT and 80M was such a struggle to work into Europe on my vertical (tuner
issue with the sloper which was resolved by Saturday night).  A brief Sunday
afternoon nap turned into 2.5 hours!

Much of the contest is a blur now, but it was nice to hear UP2L on 80M CW with
a very readable signal, even though I was not able to make contact.  The only
productive opening for me to Europe on 160M came in the last hour of the
contest when I worked 10 multipliers spread over all 6 Bands.  Quite a finish.

I can't believe how many Busted Calls I saw on packet and how many callers
failed to realize that the DX station did NOT have their correct call when they
replied.  There are going to be a LOT of Not-in-Log reports from this contest!

I deplore 45-50 WPM computer keying and Contest Spacing.  It took me SEVERAL
repeats to finally figure on NP4G's call (and others) because of the too-short
spacing and high speed.  It is actually FASTER to send a call ONCE at 30-35 WPM
than to repeat it 3 or 4 times at 50 WPM.  Contest Spacing makes identification
Very Difficult not to mention the Busted Call Spots.  
Examples:
ER4M = IR4M
ER4X = IR4X
J63A = J73A
4V7T = V47T
Z60ZZ = Z60WW
EZ4A = E74A
XE3S = XE2S
OH1BH = OH2BH
VE3EP = VE3EJ
XT2FJ = XT2FCJ

Tom N4KG in North Alabama


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