[3830] CQWW SSB K1ESE SOAB(A) HP

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CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: K1ESE
Operator(s): K1ESE
Station: K1ESE

Class: SOAB(A) HP
QTH: ME - USA
Operating Time (hrs): 22

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:    2     2        2
   80:   37    11       24
   40:  104    18       54
   20:  269    22       54
   15:  269    17       83
   10:   60    10       24
------------------------------
Total:  741    80      262  Total Score = 717,516

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

Contests are always a learning experience!  I learned -

The voice DVR in the K3 is great.  Using WAV files with the Flex is not.  I had
recorded messages with a tempo that was far too fast and rerecording didn't work
when in the middle of the contest.  I need to learn how to do that if I ever do
another SSB contest.

My remote knob was too fast.  Took contest time to reconfigure it. 

I chose an online scoreboard that had too few listings.  Took contest time to
reconfigure to the cqcontest.net scoreboard.

Automatic tuners are not always automatic.  Took contest time to try another
autotuner and finally set up two manual tuners, one for each antenna.  Spent a
lot of time on this.  The manual tuners do a great job and required little
attention.  

Got tired of the headset mic.  Took contest time to switch to my normal mic
with a cobbled up stand.  In the final hours switched back to the headset.

My chair was too high or too low.  Took contest time messing with the chair.

Tripped the amplifier out way too often for many reasons.  I hope the amp
protection circuits worked every time.  We will see and won't be surprised if
it needs a new final at some point.  I'm always concerned I'm breaking
something.

My antennas worked well.  The main antenna is a ~240' doublet.  As for the
other antenna, I spend a lot of time in the last couple of months trying
different antennas.  The latest antenna is a winner, it's a ~60' doublet up 70
feet and aimed at Europe.  It is better than the main antenna most of the time
to Europe on 40m, 20m, and often on 15m.  It is better than the main antenna to
South America and the Carribean on 15M and 10m.  I have an A/B coax switch next
to the keyboard so can easily compare with any station I will be calling.

I took a lot of breaks and seldom sat at the rig for more than 20 minutes at a
time.  One log analysis programs said I worked the contest for 22 hours,
excluding breaks over 10 minutes. Another said just over 14 hours.  N1MM says I
worked 28 hours.  It all depends how you count breaks.  I think the 22 hours is
the most realistic.  The constant racket of SSB splatter didn't help and I
would get away for a few minutes for any excuse.  Mowed the lawn, did yard
work, and took a nap Sunday.

I had a max rate for my best half an hour of 64.  Best one hour rate was 48. It
was all S&P except for a 10 QSO run on 10m and a 3 QSO run on 15m.  

On 10m YV6CR had a huge signal that was awful and 20 khz wide.

The one tip from Dennis that was really helpful was using VFO B to jump ahead
and find, and even work, the next QSO while waiting to get through to the QSO
on VFO A.  Pressed A=B and A/B a lot.

I worked Eurppoe 59% of the time, but South America 19% and North America 15%. 
The big count from South America was from a great opeing on 10m and good
openings on 15m.  For this contest 15m was the go-to band.  Who would have
thought?

73 de K1ESE
John


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