[3830] ARRLDX CW N4KG SO Unlimited HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

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

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: ALA
Operating Time (hrs): 29.4

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   19    19
   80:  139    67
   40:  231    91
   20:  279   102
   15:  322   107
   10:  293   101
-------------------
Total: 1283   487  Total Score = 1,874,463

Club: 

Comments:

GREAT Contest - EXCELLENT Conditions (40-10m) and Good Participation.

Signals on the Lower Bands seemed down but were very readable and workable on
80M, even the 100 watters.  In retrospect, I see I didn't pay enough attention
to 160m and only managed to work 3 Europeans there (EA EI G). 

I was pleased to discover that I worked 110 stations on 4 or more bands.
6B=11 stns, 5B=50 stns, 4B=49 stns, 3B=57 stns, 2B=90 stns, 1B=420 stns.
Almost all my QSOs came from the N1MM Available Multiplier List or the N1MM
Band Map.  NO Runs.  

I added a wire reflector aimed at 30 degrees behind my 80M Elevated GP which
seemed to help as it was clearly better than my other antennas to Europe while
the other antennas were better to the South/SE.  This was especially helpful
since the woods where my EU Beverages were run are no longer available to me.

I'm beginning to 'feel my age' and have cut back my Low Band Multiplier Hunting
from 0900Z to 0700/0600Z which greatly improves my ability to keep going on
Saturday evening and Sunday... (and I've reduced my operating time from 35-36
hours to around 30 hours).

A transmitter problem with my 'newer' radio caused me to resurrect my trusty
Icom 746 which I set up with a 250 Hz First IF Filter cascaded with a 500 Hz
second IF Filter.  This combination worked VERY WELL all weekend. I NEVER
switched to the 500/500 option which I suspect would be too wide under these
good conditions with high activity.

160M Inverted L (90 ft apex in tree-top)
80M  Elevated GP w/reflector, wire vertical SE of 130' Tower 
40M  80M Sloping Dipole w/ladder line sloping NE
     40M Delta Loop at 45' (corner fed) for West
20/15/10  TH7 at 40 ft plus various Dipoles aimed SE

I was also pleased to see that 20% of my QSOs have already been confirmed on
LoTW in the first 24 hours since the contest, representing ALL continents and
some interesting DX. Hopefully more and more contesters and DXers will
recognize that LoTW and OQRS save Time and Money for EVERYONE. 

Tom N4KG in North Alabama


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