[3830] SS CW N7WA Single Op HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

Call: N7WA
Operator(s): N7WA
Station: N7WA

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 23

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:  111
   40:  335
   20:  462
   15:  109
   10:    0
------------
Total: 1017  Sections = 81  Total Score = 164,754

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Comments:

After decades of trying to break 1000 Q's as a low power entry, and watching my
totals go down each year, I decided to break with tradition and enter as a high
power entry. However, I did not feel comfortable running a second radio in a HP
environment. Maybe later.

I probably started on the wrong band - 15M. It started off well but petered out
pretty quick. I don't think the band deteriorated, just ran out of people. They
were all on 20M which where I then had to establish myself.

I like participating on the online scoreboards in domestic tests. I knew I was
in trouble when I saw Mitch K7RL also signup for my category. Of course, there
was no competition between Mitch and myself, but I enjoyed watching him battle
AA3B and K5ZD. Mitch started out on top and stayed there until east coast dark.
The 3 stations switched positions quite often for a while. In the end, I think
the east coast population advantage on the low bands was too much to overcome
(plus they found that one last mult). I was also watching when the scoreboard
showed multi-op station N0AX click over to 84 mults. Somthing fishy going on in
Missouri.  ;>)

The Sunday doldrums seemed a bit easier with high power. Instead of 10-15Q
hours, I would have 30Q hours. I did a bunch of S&P looking for the last two
elusive mults (NT and VI) but no dice. I was agitated, as usual, about EWA.
Couldn't find them on 80/40M Saturday night or Sunday morning. Instead, two
found me on 20M later Sunday. At the end of the test, I gave a few calls on 80M
just to see what would pop up, my last Q was with an EWA station for a total of
3.

Speaking of 80M, one of the goals of Sweeps this year was to really test out the
new 80 Delta loop. I put it up for IARU but didn't have a 4:1 balun. I made a
quicky coaxial transformer using 75ohm coax and it worked ok but I finally got
the 4:1 balun hooked up the week before Sweeps. Very nice. I also tightened up
the low horizontal portion of the loop and lowered the lowest SWR point to
3550kHz. I had no problem working anybody and it's been a while since I broke
100 Q's on 80. (yah, 1000watts doesn't hurt either).

I am still amazed at all the checks in the 50's and 60's. (I know how old I am 
and my check is 72.) It was fun and the rainy weather provided no incentive to 
go outside. It was also the first test of my new homebrew desk in the shack. 
All in all, a decent and fun Sweeps.


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