[3830] ARRLDX SSB ND0C SOAB QRP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: ND0C
Operator(s): ND0C
Station: ND0C

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: MN
Operating Time (hrs): 28

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:    7     6
   40:   19    16
   20:  118    56
   15:  205    63
   10:  359    72
-------------------
Total:  708   213  Total Score = 452,412

Club: Minnesota Wireless Assn

Comments:

Conditions seemed to be pretty good - not great, but better than the 2013 ARRL
DX Test. I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure this is my all-time best score
in this contest.  Things just seemed to keep clicking along, with a decent rate
(for QRP) and a reasonable multiplier total.  With the exception of one
"mini-run" on 10, this was all S&P.  10 was definitely the
"money band" with fully half of my QSOs and the highest band total of
mults.

As usual the low bands were a struggle.  80 was a joke with a low dipole and 40
was very tough - only had a handful of Europeans logged.  And it seemed that the
noise levels were pretty high on all bands, but maybe that was just a local
issue - don't know.  And of course I got the usual comments like "you're
very weak" and "you're at my noise level" - goes with the
territory I guess.  But as always I appreciate the great operators out there
with super ears and a lot of patience and persistence to complete the QSOs.  

I seemed to have more fills and corrections this year.  I just started using a
new microphone (Heil HC6 element) that seems to be more sensitive than my old
Heil HC4 element and may have been giving my audio some minor distortion
("fuzzy") until I made some adjustments to compensate.  So that, and
a weak signal are not a good combination!  Specifically I had many people
mistaking "Delta" in my phonetic call sign for "Bravo".  I
don't remember that being an issue before.  

For the most part I thought the pile-up behavior was pretty good, but with some
notable and consistent exceptions - guys that just continue to call on top of
the request for a partial, etc.  And of course there were the usual wide
signals and distorted audio that makes it tough for everybody else. 

There was the usual problem with stations not IDing - apparently assuming
everybody is using spotting networks to get the callsign!  - Very frustrating
to burn a minute or two waiting for an ID, to then find out you've already
worked them!  Grrrr!

But all-in-all, I had a blast.  I didn't spend as much BIC time as I might
have, in fact I got 8 hours of sleep on Friday night as I was dead tired going
in to the contest.  And sleep seemed preferable to listening to noise and
getting CQed my face! Now back to the real world of work and business trips -
ugh!   

The ND0C "super-station":
  Rig: FT897D running 4-5 watts out, depending on band; Heil ProSet headset
microphone with HC-6 element
  Antennas: TX38 tribander at 12.5 meters (40 feet); Cushcraft D-40 rotatable
dipole at 13.5 meters (42 feet) and dipole for 80 at 12 meters (39 feet)

Thanks and 73,
Randy, ND0C

"You don't have to be crazy to contest with QRP ... but it helps."


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/