[3830] ARRLDX CW W1WEF SOAB HP

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ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: W1WEF
Operator(s): W1WEF
Station: W1WEF

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 27

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   27    19
   80:  125    45
   40:  585    84
   20:  851    92
   15:  777    90
   10:   74    44
-------------------
Total: 2439   374  Total Score = 2,736,558

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

Station:
FTDX5000 (I love it...used the 300hz filter 99% of the time)
AL1500
XM240 at 116 ft
TH6 at 108 ft
TH6 on sidearm at 80 ft
80M dipole at about 85 ft average height
160 Inv L with 90 ft vertical
Eu unterminated beverage 550 ft  
    I had the top TH6 on Eu almost all the time, the lower one to the South,
even though both are rotatable but selected separately

I told myself before the start that I'll just do this as long as it's fun. The
forecast:  A 15, K 3,  80-40 FAIR, 20 GOOD, 15 FAIR, 10 POOR. I didn't get my
hopes up, but figured this forecast was for everyone so make the best of it.
Started on 40, mostly S&P, with 106 Qs. In the second hour, I suddenly had
noise that sounded like rain or snow static, all but wiping out the band. My
XM240 is the top antenna so I had no shield from higher antennas like I once
had with two 40's and 3 TH6's on the tower. Finally, after about 20 minutes I
remembered I had a beverage and that was quieter ( noise wise as well as signal
strengths).   Before the hour was up the static went away. 
 
It's still a thrill every time a new mult calls in, but how about SV5, SV9, and
SZ within ten minutes!  I remember when Greece was relatively rare. Isn't it
amazing when you're working guys running a kw and you have to struggle to copy
them, and then a Q5 station calls and is QRP? 

80 and 160 were poor for me, but every station I heard on 160 came right back.
I never made it to 160 on Sat night, choosing sleep (I quit at 12:20 Friday
night and was back on at 5AM.

I had some fantastic runs Sat and Sunday on 20, 15 and 40, with 19 hours well
over 100. My best hour was 202. Made my 2M goal by 8AM Sunday after a good
night's sleep (off from 8:15PM Sat night to 6AMSun), so I missed the low bands
completely the second night. By 8AM Sunday I decided to take it even easier,
and at 11AM I couldn't seem to raise anyone anywhere. I think a gravitational
wave had floated a black hole over my tower. The rest of the day Sunday I was
on and off, sometimes for only 15minutes at a time. I was ready to quit Sunday
at 4PM when 40 opened up and I stayed until 6 and quit before the end of the
contest.

After recently receiving the biggest score reduction ever in CQWW CW, I knew I
had to be more careful getting it right. I found at times that I'd go back to a
station thinking I copied his call OK, but when he came back with his exchange
it was like a totally different station I had it so screwed up! At times when I
would go back with a busted call, the station wouldn't even correct his own
call, but I'd realize I had missed a dit or a dah. It seems like I miss the
beginning of a call too often, or the first letter.  I remember the last time
I saw Vic Paounoff, N4XR, and he told me in his early 90's he couldn't remember
the beginning of a call when he got to the end. I'm not there yet, but feel
that at 78 with two hearing aids (that I cant use with headphones), my age is
starting to take it's toll. I'll still contest though as long as I'm having
fun, even if I do bust the calls!   hi

While on the subject of Seniors, I was telling my coffee buddy about the
contest this morning, and how I lost a lot of my last score. Dick isn't a ham,
but he's actually a decendant of Samuel Morse. He had a great idea that i'll
propose to the Contest branch...one that they never heard before. Senior
Citizen score reduction benefits!  Instead of a ten percent score reduction,
you divide by 4 ...something like that!      Thanks for the fun...JACK
W1WEF
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