[3830] ARRLDX CW V31AT(K5PI) SOAB LP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: V31AT
Operator(s): K5PI
Station: V31AT

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: San Ignacio
Operating Time (hrs): 43
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:  200    47
   80:  495    57
   40:  819    59
   20: 1066    58
   15: 1147    59
   10: 1215    57
-------------------
Total: 4942   337  Total Score = 49,690,655

Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club

Comments:

Our usual crew for the V31TP M/S couldn't travel this year, and I've been
wanting to single op, so this seemed like the year to do it.  We've got a good
system to set up our antennas in pretty short order, but this year it was just
me (with a little help from the hotel staff).  So over the course of three
days, I put up the A3S tribander, 40/80 inverted vee, and 160 inverted L (a
modified HF2V).  I brought my K3 and used a TS-690 as a second radio.  

The antennas went up fine, but I had a handful of challenges in the shack.  A
switching power supply started acting up but mostly settled down before the
contest.  I expect it was the reason my K3 would sometimes stop transmitting
until I cycled the power.  The other big disappointment was my brand new
triplexer, which failed a half hour before the start of the contest.  I had to
re-think my antenna strategy, but I pressed the 40/80 antenna into service on
10/15/20 on the second radio, and it seemed to work reasonably well.

The good news was TR4W.  I still use the original TR-LOG for SO2R at home, and
while I've used most other programs at one time or another, I've never learned
any other program for SO2R.  I was delighted to find how similar it was the
original, so even in my most sleep deprived moments, I still managed to keep
right on logging.

I haven't done a serious 48-hour single op in several years, so I wasn't sure
how my body would hold up.  I took two hours off around 0800Z the first night. 
The second night, the rate sagged about 0630Z, followed by my energy, and I got
so clumsy, it was a matter of diminishing returns.  So I slept for three hours
and came back with just enough in the tank to finish.  

Thanks to my partner in crime, WC0W for a great run of operations here.  I look
forward to teaming up again next year!  Thanks also to N5AW for the help with
TR4W.  And thanks to my wife Trish, her folks, stepbrother, and two friends who
arrived Saturday afternoon, fetched some meals and Coca Lights during the second
half, and helped pack things up.


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