[3830] SS CW N4GG SO Unlimited HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW - 2020

Call: N4GG
Operator(s): N4GG
Station: N4GG

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: GA
Operating Time (hrs): 20:15
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:  456
   40:  309
   20:  275
   15:   52
   10:     
------------
Total: 1092  Sections = 83  Total Score = 181,272

Club: South East Contest Club

Comments:

My most exciting contest - ever.  Never set a fire in the backyard before.  I
was always worried about that - with wires everywhere in the woods - it was a
constant concern for 15 years at this QTH.  FORTUNATELY, the woods did not catch
fire.  The last tropical storm thru here rearranged some of the support tree
limbs, which caused one leg of the 80 meter inverted vee to touch the 20 meter
ladder line transmission line.  Saturday evening I noticed the 80 M SWR jumping
around and went out back - in the dark - and moved things around.  Saturday
night was uneventful after that.  Sunday night...same thing.  After watching the
SWR on 80 jump around for a few monutes I went out back and watched a fire on
the 20 M transmission line about 60 feet off the ground.  DAMN!  After
collecting my wits I shook the ladder line as hard as I could - it ends 6 feet
feet off the ground - and the fire went out.  I'm surprised I got away with
that.  I often "strip" the end of ladder line with a small torch.   It
burns slowly, but it does keep burning until you put it out.  Unnoticed, the
fire would have gone through trees and up to the center insulator, then set fire
to the elements...it's a folder dipole made with more ladder line.  It would
have been "interesting" to watch it.  I came back into the shack
Sunday evening covered in mud and banged up.  There were some panic moments
involved and it's muddy back there.  So....the contest itself seems uneventful
by comparison.
I never planned a full effort and slept in Sunday morning.  22 hours was all
that was possible after that, but the fire kind of took the wind out of my
sails.  80 was great Saturday night.  The station played great...until.  I did
get the 80 and 20 seperated and got back on, but had to move the 80 vee wires to
where the included angle was really small, the SWR up, and my signal way down. 
I quit at that point.  I detected VY1SS Saturday evening on 20, but he was in
the noise.  There were almost no callers.  Then VY1CO popped up on Sunday
evening and started an unruly pileup on 40.  I put the second radio on it for a
while, then gave up.  I noticed he moved to SSB after 60 QSOs.  No mug...maybe
in two weeks?

FTdx5000, FT1000MP, 2 X ACOM2000A, bunch of SO2R DIY, "Smoking hot"
wires in the woods.  K9AY loop (awesome in domestic contests).  N4GG


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