AA4NC SS CW

[AA4NC at aol.com]

No amount of whining can cover up for my suckage in this one!!

I started out the first 3 hours 50 Qs over last year, then the bottom fell
out for the rest of the weekend. I think there was an organized conspiracy to
ignore my CQs ( or everyone was just answering Jeff, Ralph and Bill). My S&P
efforts reminded me of Bill Murray "Groundhog Day" where I kept reliving the
same stations over and over on every band with no one to work! And I admit
that it was me that stalked out N4RJ to try and steal his frequency- I think
we need to add defense as a strategy in contesting -besides, I thought Bill's
frequency must have had some super selective propagation happening on it :-).

After going to bed at 0900 150 Qs down from last year, I basically quit. I
decided to try at least for a sweep (I had only 72 mults), but couldn't even
do that without cheating (I resorted to pleading on packet for a VE8 and
KL7). Looked like I wouldn't get KL7 at all until N4ZC told me that you just
had to stake out a 20m frequency and call CQ - all the KL7 were S&Ping. This
didn't seem to promising due to the previously mentioned conspiracy, however
after 15 minutes, I had worked not only 3 KL7s (2 in a row!) but a second YU
(VY1JA), so they were there. A note for you Seattle guys - go east to EWA for
a cheap expedition - didn't think I was gonna get that one for a long time
either...

Low sunspots, yeah that's the ticket -low sunspots...

My line score was 1035 / 77 - 22 hours

Congrats to Jeff and Gator and the frequency challenged KM9P - as they say
down here -dem boys is good! 

>From David C. Patton" <mudcp3 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu  Mon Nov  7 20:16:34 1994
From: David C. Patton" <mudcp3 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (David C. Patton)
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 14:16:34 -0600 (CST)
Subject: K4VX/0 SS CW
Message-ID: <199411072016.AA23992 at ecom1.ecn.bgu.edu>

YO all

I am really draggin' around the office today.  Hope y'all are
likewise!

Very interesting contest.  The aurora/flare sure put an interesting
twist on the first 6 hours at least.  I can't believe anybody worked
ANYTHING on 15!  I listened occasionally, an d actually worked two
W6s, but that's it.

               80   477 QSOs.  Ant:  Dipole at 165' between towers
               40   560 QSOs.  Ants: 3 el @ 130', Extended double
                                zepp at 95', Dipole at 30'
               20   410 QSOs.  Ants: 5 el (60' boom) @ 110'
                                     5 el (48' boom) @ 60', 
                                     fed together
               15     2 QSOs.  Ant:  6 el (40' boom) @ 170'
                   -----------
                     1449 x 77

Good thing we have 80.  Except that from 00Z - 02Z even the W9s were
virtually inaudible on that band!  SO I took an off-time at 0100Z!
Certainly never did that before--figured it couldn't be worse later.
This move paid off.  In retrospect, I should have operated longer
past 0800Z on 80.  When I came back from that first off-time the
bands had impoved markedly--especially 80.  And that dipole seemed to
rule the band.

Filtering:  Yep I had mine too tight, but here is the scenario:
  to the west I have N2IC/0 and K0RF (who is brutally loud on 80!),
K0PP/7, and then the second tier of 6s and 7s.  To the South, you
name 'em, WM5G, N5RZ, W5WMU, K5XI, WZ4F, N4RJ, AC4NJ, and K5GN--all
damaging the receiver.  To the East, I narrowed out W4MYA, K1ZM,
KZ2S, K8AZ, K5NA, and K3LR (who simply sets the needle on the right
side of the meter where it stays permanently).  There wasn't much
propagation to the North!    So you see, I got it from all sides.
Clear frequencies?  Ha.  But after slugging it out on 80 the rates
held up to the mid-80s.  The biggest problem came from the QRPers,
who were actually good copy, but they often took so long repeating
their exchange (as KM9P noted) that other guys who heard the
seemingly clear frequency would send ? QRL or CQ, so I had to ask for
fills despite the repeats!  The repeating begot more repeating.

Took over 1000 QSOs to get NE.  Ended up working a few of 'em, but
they weren't calling CQ!  Missed KV0I and K0SCM.  

Deer took down all but the JA/W7 beverage--which I used frequently.

Just kept pushing the F1 button.  Guys kept calling slowly and
steadily.  Used the second radio constantly from the beginning.  The
K4VX station is even better now with true second radio switching.
Any band from either radio.  Lew had to work hard to design a system
that included all the different antennas to either rig while
maintaining the original switching system's components.  The beauty
of VX is that it can go from a highly competitive single-op station
to a full-blown multi-multi in a matter of minutes.  Lew is a great
builder--I am in awe of the man!  I'm just the operator occasionally,
and truly fortunate in this respect.  I could never come even close
to possessing the ability to build anything like K4VX.

Thanks for all the QSOs--many of you reflectorites!

Congrats to the other VXers KR0Y, KM9P, and AG9A for their terrific
scores, and to K5GA and N5RZ and all the other serious guys for their
scores!

73, Dave Patton, WX3N
mudcp3 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu