N9XX IARU CW Score and soapbox

[Dan Reese]

Lifted from CT summary file:

      Call: N9XX                     Country:  United States
      Mode: CW                       Category: Single Operator

     BAND      QSO   QSO-PTS   PTS/Q    ZONES  HQ STNS


      160        0        0     0.00      0      0
       80       32       60     1.88      4      1
       40      107      247     2.31     11      3
       20      110      294     2.67     20      6
       15       20       58     2.90      7      0
       10        0        0     0.00      0      0
     ---------------------------------------------------

     Totals    269      659     2.45     42     10

                 Score: 34,268 points

Random notes:

-   Station here consists of a barefoot TS-850 (as always) and a
    Cushcraft AV-5 5-band trap vertical, ground mounted (as always).
    Using CT386, version 8.24 on a Toshiba T5100 "laptop".

-   Operating time was limited to 8 hours out of 24, due in part
    to some nasty thunderstorms that were very lightning-active.

-   QRN was horrendous before and after the storms, even into the wee
    hours of the AM: 10-20 dB over on 80, more tolerable on 40.
    My apologies to those who answered my 80 meter CQs if I seemed
    to ignore you or asked for incessant repeats.

-   The storms happened just as 20 meters was peaking to Europe,
    Middle East and former USSR regions - missed many good multipliers
    and a lot of 5 pointers.

-   Only DX heard on 80 was a little bit of PY0FF copied through the 
    mush.  (Could've used him for 80M DXCC too - no luck).

-   I believe GB8ZZ (K1ZZ) has the best ears in the world to hear my
    peanut whistle on 40, 20 and 15!

-   10 meters was open to the southeast US and South America, but
    no contest activity was heard on CW.  I CQed on the hour and
    half-hour a few times, with no takers.

-   Found relatively few VEs.  Thank goodness for the likes of VE7NTT,
    VE4VV and VE3KP!

-   Found and worked the FP and CY9 expeditions, but never heard OJ0.

-   Lastly:  other than for the pure pleasure of getting in the fray,
    a primary motivator is the award endorsements for 250 QSOs and 50
    multipliers.  If I could've operated 24 hours, I would've.  But
    the availability of these endorsements is reason enough to hang in
    there a little while longer and ferret out one or two more
    multipliers or Qs.

-   Had a great time!

Dan Reese, N9XX
New Berlin, WI
76300.331 at CompuServe.Com