[3830] SS CW K1LT Single Op HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Ohio EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:  475
   40:  203
   20:  190
   15:  108
   10:   97
------------
Total: 1073  Sections = 83  Total Score = 178,118

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Last summer I started a tower project with the intent of having some
benefit for the 2015-2016 contest season.  I have 80 feet of Rohn 45
but want to go to 100 feet.  Also, my budget does not permit putting
up all of the tower at once because Phillystrand is expensive, so
the goal for this season was to reach 40 feet (first set of guys
using EHS) and put up the rest next year.  At 40 feet, I could
relocate the Cushcraft A3 from 30 feet up the aluminum tower and use
it for the CQ WW CW contest.

November Sweepstakes CW was the first contest for which the new
tower was ready.  I intended include the full tower story with the
3830 posting that describes the first use of the new antenna but I
haven't had time so far to complete the entire story.  Also, the new
antenna is connected the same way as the old antenna so I cannot use
all of the potential until I add some antenna switching capacity.
So I will again defer the full tower story to the 3830 posting for
the CQ WW CW contest.

The only other preparations for SS were to: improve SO2R flexibility
somewhat; get rid of the annoying hanging PTT when using the
homebrew WinKey clone; and tell the 11 year old kid to take care of
herself for the weekend (part of a planned parenting strategy).  It
turns out that the annoying delay was Writelog's fault and was
eliminated by again setting the CW PTT hang time to 0, even though
this setting was already 0.  The child did an excellent job of
handling herself.

For SO2R flexibility over the summer I started to build some
bandpass filters to eliminate inter-station interference, but I had
trouble locating high voltage capacitors.  So far the only
interference that occurs is when the 1st radio is on the high bands
and the 2nd radio on 40 meters.  In this case I found that my
regular antenna tuner does a perfectly adequate job of eliminating
overload from the 2nd radio.  Nevertheless, I built a coax stub for
40 meters that seems to reduce the second harmonic about 10 db.
Apparently, there is opportunity for more improvement.  When the 1st
radio is on 40 and the 2nd radio is on 80, there is no interference
and I haven't yet encountered my harmonic.  The end result was
essentially no improvement in flexibility.  I need to build the
filters and add switching for them.

SS proceeded pretty much as it has in past years.  I started on 10
meters and made 97 contacts although CQing was much less productive
than in past years.  The relocated A3 makes a much better antenna
for the 2nd receiver in the primary K3 than when it was on the
aluminum tower.  Maybe it is because the A3 is now in the clear, or
maybe moving it got rid of some cobwebs.

On the first evening 15 and 40 meters were also not as productive as
in previous years although 20 was good for 60 QSOs.  I heard VY1AAA
making QSOs but he was so weak that I couldn't tell when he was
transmitting.  I wound up on 80 meters somewhat earlier than normal
but 80 was productive.  By my 0600Z sleep time, I was about 80 QSOs
behind last year.  The only multipliers remaining were MB, NL, and
NT.

I set the alarm for 6 hours but woke up after about 5.2 hours.  I
got back on the radio and had a decent run on 80 and an adequate run
on 40.  By 1500Z or so, I was within 30 QSOs of last year.

The Sunday doldrums varied quite a bit: sometimes I was ahead of
last year but by 0100Z I was even with last year.  MB and NL both
called in during the early afternoon.  KL7RA called around 1600Z on
20 but he was so weak that it took several iterations to copy the
info.  Somewhat later I found VY1AAA very high up 20 meters almost
alone working a slow but steady stream of visitors.  Since Hal was
having success on 14080 or so, I tried CQing nearby but without
similar success.  But CQing lower in the band would net a 5-10 QSO
run and then peter out.  CQing on 15 was not productive and there
were no SS stations on 10 other than NP3A.

During the slow CQs, I tried tuning the 2nd radio for new stations,
but 40 meters had very little activity during daylight hours.  Since
I cannot yet operate both radios on the high bands at the same time,
the 2 radio strategy was much less effective.

The next to the last hour on 40 resulted in a 5-10 QSO run after
CQing.  Maybe the RBN spotted me and 5-10 QSOs were the result?
When each of these mini-runs petered out, I changed frequency a lot
and tried again.  Usually I could get another 5-10 QSO run after a
few minutes.  This pattern died out after about 45 minutes.

I spent the last hour alternating between 40 and 80 tuning for new
stations.  CQing would no longer get more than 1 or 2 answers.  I
stopped at 0247Z when my time ran out.

Analysis: I've been stuck at the same relative level now for several
years.  I guess I need to really improve my SO2R capability and then
improve my willingness to use that capability.

    Year  Class  QSOs  Mult  Hours
    2015    B    1073   83    24    
    2014    B    1065   82    24
    2013    B    1097   83    24
    2012    B     955   83    22.5
    2011    B    1106   80    23
    2010    B    1038   80    22
    2009    B     967   80    20.5
    2008    B    1060   79    23
    2007    B     924   80    23.5

Surprise not-a-muiltiplier: WO0KEE.

Equipment: K3, P3, and 8410; K3 and 91B (thanks, Jeff!); X7 at 60
feet, A3 at 40 feet, full sized verticals on 40 and 80.


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