[3830] SS SSB K7IR Multi-Op LP

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                    ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB - 2021

Call: K7IR
Operator(s): K7IR WA7IR K7EDX K7XH N9ADG
Station: K7IR

Class: Multi-Op LP
QTH: EWA
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:    0
   80:   88
   40:  404
   20:  375
   15:  300
   10:    0
------------
Total: 1167  Sections = 83  Total Score = 193,722

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Comments:

Team K7IR returned to EWA this year for a Field Day style operation, away from
suburban RFI. Permission to use the ridge-top location, surrounded by apple
orchards and grape vines, was secured by Mike, K7IR. John, WA7IR, arranged for a
travel trailer, gathered equipment, and was the weekend chef. In the days
leading up to the event, K7IR disassembled and reassembled a SteppIR DB42
antenna, pairing it with a rotator and 80’ towable tower trailer by Tashjian
towers. Two days before the contest, K7IR and K7XH moved the tower and trailer
to the location overlooking Moses Lake, Washington, and set up the tower in a
blowing windstorm (see the video and other pictures at
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rXNTX7p7LYormKmb7 ). The weather calmed and Sun
returned by Friday afternoon when John, WA7IR and Brian, N9ADG, arrived on-site.
K7IR and K7XH had been doing “testing” for much of the afternoon, which
seemed to involve working a bunch of DX stations. Saturday morning, final
preparations were completed, mostly setup of the single K3 and logging computer.
Remarkably, Murphy didn’t seem to find our new operating location, and we were
prepared and ready a solid hour before the contest start. Adam, K7EDX, joined us
late Saturday afternoon, already hoarse from cheering on his son’s high school
football team to victory in the state playoffs. He jumped right into the fray
with some great runs. WA7IR kept everyone well fed with snacks and grilled
seafood.

During the contest, we operated entirely on a small generator’s power.
Operators typically put in 1.5 to 3 hours before they relinquished the
microphone. Site conditions overall were excellent — though we still did have
QRN from an unidentified noise source to our east. 80 meters was our worst
band— it was hard to get the attention of many east coast stations with our
dipole at 80’. On Sunday, 15 meters provided an alternative to the zoo that
was 20 meters. K7IR, himself, got on in the last four minutes of the contest to
work W8GJK. We missed MAR for a clean sweep!  Our total number of contacts was
about 20 fewer than in 2018, but in 2018 we used two operating positions with a
lockout. In the future it might be fun to try this or another quiet location
with multiple locked-out operating positions.


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