[3830] SS SSB K9ZO SO Unlimited HP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB - 2021

Call: K9ZO
Operator(s): K9ZO
Station: K9ZO

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:  460
   40:  571
   20:  185
   15:  112
   10:    0
------------
Total: 1328  Sections = 84  Total Score = 223,104

Club: Metro DX Club

Comments:

I wasn't paying attention and was sending B instead of U.  I eventually used
spots to find the final Canadian multipliers. It was the first time I was
assisted. Internet in this rural area is marginal.

The Flex PGXL quit on Friday and N7MB brought out his OM2000+ for me to use.  I
was impressed with how quiet it was. I wasted too much time with Flex support
and their inefficient service ticketing system – back and forth with emails,
but they should learn to read first.  Their forms should collect better
information needed to diagnose problems.  The amp took a Bzzzt and quit working
during normal DXing during the week.  Hence, I did not have time to get any
receiving antennas going.  It was a relaxing pleasure to use an amp that did not
have false high SWR faults all the time, although I had become used to not
tuning after band changes.

The first half of the contest was good with a few hours over 100 QSOs.   On 80
the 4 square seemed effective, even though my initial tests showed it was
awesome for DX and not much better than the inverted vee for USA.  There is an
advantage of  being omnidirectional which I don't have with the Comtek ACB-4.  


I left the 80 inverted vee tuned for CW, so had to use the Tuner Genius.   I was
not pleased because is seems to have such a narrow bandwidth before retuning is
needed. 40 also suffered because the SteppIR does not work there.  I found I
could have used some gain and directionality to be more effective. Some phased
slopers should do the trick.  20 was OK, but I could have used a low yagi.  The
SteppIR showed high SWR on 20 meters bidirectional. Basically SteppIR is a piece
of xxxx. I've had problems ever since I got it and, sorry to say, have thrown
hundreds of dollars into parts that did not fix design shortcomings. 

The SD card for the 6600 which I requested a week earlier did not arrive, but a
factory reset, and not using the PGXL took care of the hanging problem.   Guys
reported the audio was bad.  I remember getting unsolicited reports when I had
Kenwoods about how good the audio was.  That’s my goal and perhaps being
distinctively crisp helps accuracy.

Five times I have seen the Flex VFO encoders go bad.  My Maestro is sitting on
the table, while using one supplied by WT2P.   My conclusion is that two vendors
of ham radio gear are not ready for prime time competition.  

I never operated assisted before, so it was calming to know I had a shot at a
clean sweep.  Regardless, it was difficult to catch propagation into the less
common Canadian areas.

I will continue with my station building.  I still am not SO2R because it is so
difficult to get tower help.  The CWTs provide good insight into the
effectiveness of things and SS shook out the faults and showed the areas of
station design that were effective.   I still have a sense of direction for my
station build, but progress is really slow.


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