[SECC] Claimed Scores, Last Weekend's Contests

[John Laney]

1.  May Low Power Sprint, CW

K4BAI    208  42   8,736   LP  4.0 hours  SO1R
KU8E     181  40   7,240   LP  3.0        SO2R
N4GG     150  38   5,700   LP  3.0        SO2R

N4PN and N5VI were both also active, but haven't posted their claimed 
scores yet.  I definitely made a mistake in not getting my SO2R setup 
ready for this contest.  I had it all disconnected since taking so much 
of my gear to NQ4I's in Feb. and March.  Did reconnect it all (but the 
filters) for the QRP contest on Monday.  I didn't go to the effort on 
Saturday since the Sprints in the past have been very frantic and there 
was a minimum of benefit from SO2R.  But, in this one, the conditions 
were poor, everyone was required to run low power or QRP, and the 
participation was down, probably due to its being a new contest with 
only a little internet publicity.  SO2R would definitely have helped 
after the going got slow.

2.  May 2005 Spartan Sprint CW.

K4BAI  88             88  2.0 hours  5W  SO2R

SO2R definitely helped in this contest.  20 meters was open for short 
skip just a few minutes after the contest started at 0200 UTC.  Then, it 
was mostly closed to stations east of TX/MN line.  The west coast 
stations were weaker than usual.  40 M was short early, but pretty soon 
lengthened out so that stations closer than VA/TX were unworkable on 
that band.  I had the benefit of switching between the zepp, which 
favors the north and northeast and the dipole, which favors the west and 
north west.  Again, the west coast signals were much weaker than they 
have been and I couldn't hear some of them that midwest stations were 
working.  80M seemed in good condition (N9NE in WI was a beacon on that 
band.), but QRN was very strong and it wasn't possible to even identify 
  some stations working that band.  Worked K4PQC and NT4XT (the new call 
for W3DCG) in GA.  No SC or AL stations heard.

This weekend brings the IN, OR, NV, and New England QSO Parties and the 
annual Italian ARI DX Contest.  Also, the MARAC CW County Hunters 
Contest for 48 hours and the 10-10 club CW contest.  Is that enough to 
keep everyone busy?  Hope everyone has a good week.

73,


John, K4BAI.