[3830] NAQP CW N5FO Single Op LP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    North American QSO Party, CW - January

Call: N5FO
Operator(s): N5FO
Station: N5FO

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Tyrone, NM
Operating Time (hrs): 10
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   66    23
   80:  116    37
   40:  303    49
   20:  325    49
   15:  128    32
   10:    1     1
-------------------
Total:  939   191  Total Score = 179,349

Club: Arizona Outlaws Contest Club

Team: Arizona Outlaws - Chollas

Comments:

Very tough contest for me. Started the checklist late (morning before a contest)
to find 2nd radio not making but 60W on 10M and down slightly more than usual on
the other bands. Also made note that my radios just won't make the 100W out into
the antennas on the far side of the filters.  You'd think the manufacturers
would allow some "headroom" for us contest operators. Any suggestions
for improvement?

Just before contest start I was hit with nausea & a light case of vertigo,
thought the flu was starting, but cleared within the first couple hours. So,
with 10M dead and 15M never really opening here, it was a struggle to get a
decent rate.

At 1917 it was a surprise to have my young friend Bryant call, now from AL (New
Orleans, LA before) He's what, 13yrs old, just learned code past couple years
& going like a pro!

By 2129, even working the 2nd radio, I felt the rates just weren't up to what
they should have been, even on 20 & 40.  It was interesting to see 80 come
alive earlier than expected, and the activity on 160 was a nice surprise. 

As usual, I had a couple of nuisance failures, that new LogiTech ball mouse
started to fail just like the old one (left-click button sticking).  So, any
suggestions for a reliable mouse for a very cramped desktop? 
Also, for some reason, that I never quite figured out, the "Focus on
Other" would just quit, forcing me to use the manual receive switch on the
SO2R Box until I reset things. It happened at least a half dozen times. The
remedy seemed different every time it repeated.

OK, I guess we all have a MAJOR BRAIN FART every now & then! So, I take my
second break at 0201 and set my alarm for 29mins, giving me 2 mins to get back
upstairs & in the chair. But when it went off I WAS ALREADY in the chair.
Not thinking, I grab a quick mult before realizing the break was only 29 minutes
long! So that wasted 29 minutes of the 10 hours! Oh well, S happens!

Thanks for all the Q's & Mult's. I won't say it was lots of fun, but it had
it's moments in spite of the lousy upper band conditions. 

Sam


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/