[SCCC] N6KI NAQP SSB 2012 - SO LP SO1R

[Dennis Vernacchia]

                  North American QSO Party, SSB - August

Call: N6KI
Operator(s): N6KI
Station: W6HCD

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: CA
Operating Time (hrs): 10

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:   97    22
   40:  210    47
   20:  175    52
   15:  109    31
   10:    3     3
-------------------
Total:  594   155  Total Score = 92,070

Club: Southern California Contest Club

Team: SCCC #1

Comments:

This was the contest that almost didn't happen ! I was feeling pretty run
down
the 2 weeks before this and cancelled a Multi 2 operation for NAQP SSB we
had
planned for San Diego Contest Club NX6T - I got to portable W6HCD hill-top
site

2 hours late and still feeling like a under charged Ni-Cad. Just as I am
starting to set up the rig and computer, I get word that the water pump has
failed and house full of people without water ( need those showers and
toilets
etc - ya know)
So it's now after 5 PM Friday eve and plenty daylight so I go check pump
system
- - an hour later - figure out pump motor control unit has gone Tango
Uniform -
call the family's favorite ranch water pump guys - no response - I wire
around
controller so I can get pump to pump some water into house manually and my
helper standing next to me doing light duty slumps over sideways and says he
doesn't feel well - HMMM...turns out to he has history heart trouble -
...call
911...ambulance can't find us - I have to go find ambulance and lead them
the
in to site. Now it's 8 PM and I get to start on rig/computer again - decide
at
8:30 pm I gotta get some chow and food supplies for weekend before the
market
closes - head down hill - whoops - cel phone rings - XYL of fellow with
stroke
is stranded at hospital 10 miles away ( luckily her OM is OK but they want
to
keep him overnight for observation ! ) - OK turn around and go get her -
whoops
- she has not eaten for 6 hours now so we have to get a quick run to Mickey
Dees. Finally back at site now 10:30 pm - finish setting up by 1 AM - got to
get some ZZZZZsss and be in shack early for some final tweaks and contest
start
-
Dang - 10 is deader than a door nail - 15 is punk and work it for a bit then
give up and go to 20 -= Condx really punk - try to move guys to 10 or 15
from
20 - 10 is still DOA - 15 anemic - gotta milk 20 as way too early for 40 !
Anyway by evening my goal was reduced from 800 Qs and 200 mults to 600 Qs
and
150 mults - things got better on 40 and 80 the later it got - Dang - never
got
up the 160 ant and NOTHING will load so can't even get 1 lousy mult for CA
on
160 .... well almost made the 600s Qs as had a good run on 40 the last 10
minutes - maybe staywed oin 80 too long but had a steady rate of 60 to 70
per
hour so maybe not - Will this crappy sunspot cycle ever get better ???!!!!