[3830] IARU N3BB SOABCW HP

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                    IARU HF World Championship - 2020

Call: N3BB
Operator(s): N3BB
Station: N3BB

Class: SOABCW HP
QTH: STX
Operating Time (hrs): 17
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs  Zones  HQ Mults
-------------------------------------
  160:    18    0                
   80:    87    0                
   40:   532    0                
   20:   826    0                
   15:   448    0                
   10:    10    0                
-------------------------------------
Total:  1615    0      76      69  Total Score = 750,230

Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club

Comments:

Very disappointing all around. It was going to be difficult given my wife's
health situation, but she was a trooper and did great. I had prepared during the
week and felt the station was QRV. However the separate identical triband yagis
used for 15 and 10 may be OK, but mentally I do not trust them. 

Also, for some strange reason, the keying line going to one of the amps suddenly
stopped working at 1720Z so after five hours and twenty minutes, I was SO1R at
least with power. Practically, I just abandoned that radio as my spirit was
pretty well shot. I took off a half hour and confirmed the amp is OK, but the
line that opens the amp from the K3 going through some front end protectors just
doesn't operate. Just did not have the energy to track it down, and the shack
looks like a tornado hit it with various extra cables Ohm-meters and stuff all
around. I had focused on heavy SO2R concentration and was working in S&P
QSOs on the other radio while running on the CQ band. It all came crashing down,
and mentally it sort of did me in. 

I had taken off one hour to help my wife with some things two separate times.
Then, with the "loss" of the amp at one station, and with the LF
bands, especially 80 and 160 so bad at around 0340Z, I just bagged it and went
to bed. (I could not raise W1AW/4 on 160! He was hearing poorly) Fortunately she
had a problem during the night and it was fortunate I was there.

Got back on at about 09Z, so was off the air from about 10:40 pm until 4 am
local time. Finished the contest with the usual excellent JA/Asia run on 40 and
some Sunrise goodies on 80. Much too little and too late. This is one of my
least successful and least enjoyable IARUs in many years. Congratulations on the
hearty souls who ran the entire contest, and who did very well from this area in
similar conditions. 

N5AW commented in his 3830 report on the good conditions to Europe on 15 and
even on 10. I had quite a few contacts on fifteen, and some Euros were strong,
but the band was lack luster. Ten meters was a total loss here with four
contacts in all. I listened from time to time, but must have missed any
openings, even to Central and South America. Again, it may be my antennas or it
might be my total lack of confidence in the antennas. 


Like the Dodgers of old, maybe next year. 

73, Jim N3BB


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