[3830] SS CW VE3VN Single Op QRP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW - 2020

Call: VE3VN
Operator(s): VE3VN
Station: VE3VN

Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: ONE
Operating Time (hrs): 23.5
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:   21
   80:  227
   40:  222
   20:  167
   15:   20
   10:     
------------
Total:  657  Sections = 83  Total Score = 109,062

Club: Contest Club Ontario

Comments:

Wow, lots of fantastic QRP competition this year. I was impressed to hear the
serial #s being given out by W2GD and VY2ZM (>1000)! No hope of that for me
although I did improve over the last couple of years. Location, location,
location, antennas and, sadly, the fellow in the operating chair. I was
outgunned on all counts. I almost long for the 70s when I was one of few VE4
contesters in SS.

New antennas did help. With a 40m dipole (experimental yagi element) up 46
meters it's amazing who answers my 5 watt CQ. An hour before the contest I
patched in my new and not quite complete winter 160m vertical with wire nuts
because, well, I don't really need it for SS but you never know. More new
antennas are up but not yet connected. I'm sorry I took down my 80m inverted vee
because my vertical yagi isn't suitable to work W1/2/3 & VE2/3 with QRP. My
own section eluded me for many hours.

What almost killed the contest for me was earwigs. Yes, earwigs, those
supposedly harmless little insects. They've been really bad this year, getting
into every box with cable connections, switches and matching networks. At 2030Z
on Saturday I was outside opening the DB25 connectors on my remote 2x8 that were
filled with earwigs and earwig eggs. They seem to behave as semiconductors. 

The second side of the antenna switch was misfiring on the relays due to the
infestation. I haven't done any SO2R recently so I hadn't noticed the problem.
Once they were evicted the switching system operated normally. I hate earwigs.

Picked up AK and PAC late in the contest while making a final desperate sweep on
20m for multipliers. I had found PAC twice before but was not heard or could not
complete the exchange with my QRP. No NT heard. Monday morning I was back up the
towers to try and finish antenna work before winter settles in.


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