[3830] ARRLDX SSB KT8K SOAB QRP

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ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: KT8K
Operator(s): KT8K
Station: KT8K

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: EN82ch SE Michigan
Operating Time (hrs): 0:36

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   0     0
   80:   0     0
   40:   3     3
   20:   1     1
   15:   6     5
   10:   0     0
-------------------
Total:  10     9  Total Score = 270

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Sometimes too many things seem set against being in a contest, and here are some
of my many excuses.  
My wife was coughing a lot and flat on back in bed for all of Friday and
Saturday, and we wound up spending time in the ER Saturday night (her COPD and
emphysema were acting up, but a few breathing treatments and some steroids
fixed her up OK).  I somehow picked up a cough of my own - probably the virus
that triggered her breathing problems - and was barking loudly and trying to
keep it off microphone at the radio desk for short periods here and there.  

Conditions here were not especially good on any band.  I could only hear a few
Eu big guns besides the Caribbean stations, who were coming in pretty well, and
a smattering of SA.  My on-time is way understated because I spent much time
screaming my lungs out (between coughing fits) and getting no response, until
N1MM+ must have thought I had left the station.  :->

The old TT Orion is developing new quirks, too.  The aux receiver volume will
suddenly take off and rise to full volume without warning.  If you try to turn
it down it goes down and then heads for the top again.  I'm happy to say I
don't think the speaker has been damaged, but my ears may have suffered a bit. 
Fortunately I can mute the aux rx and just not use it.  It started working
properly, though, early in the event, and was fine until just before I am
writing this, when it went nuts again.  My wife is more and more loudly telling
me it is time to get a new primary rig.  (I am one lucky sunuvagun!)

Thanks to the 10 stations who pulled me out of the noise, and especially those
who went through several dozen repeats with me to get my call right (yes,
dozen).

Hopefully I can get the station into better shape before WPX SSB and the
Michigan QSO Party, the next big contests I am looking forward to.
Best reception to all, and may your antennas survive the winds of March
unscathed!
72 de kt8k - Tim

station equipment: 
- Tentec Orion, MFJ Grandmaster Memory Keyer with Bencher BY-1 paddle 
- XP laptop running N1MM+ (and nothing else!) 
- homebrew RS-232 to keying interface (thanks Dan KB6NU - catch his blog!) 
Antennas: 
- 20/40/80m multi-wire dipole at 30 feet, fed with RG8x 
- 10/15/20m vertical trap dipole fed at 35 feet with RG8x 
- 40/80m wire vertical fed with TV twin lead and LDG Z-11 autotuner, feed point
at 12 feet above ground, 2 radials per band 

Thanks for enjoying my ham radio (and other) songs: 
"I Want a Big Tower" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNWZjzrzgwA 

"If You Ain't Runnin', You Ain't Winnin'"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNWZjzrzgwA www.youtube.com/themandolinmaniac


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