[SECC] Fwd: WPX CW AA4LR SO(TS)AB LP

[Bill Coleman]

                     CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: AA4LR
Operator(s): AA4LR
Station: AA4LR

Class: SO(TS)AB LP
QTH: GA
Operating Time (hrs): 10.5

Summary:
  Band  QSOs
------------
   160:    0
    80:   10
    40:  121
    20:  176
    15:  167
    10:   26
------------
Total:  500  Prefixes = 297  Total Score = 321,651

Club: South East Contest Club

Comments:

Antennas:
A3S/A743 at 15m (40, 20, 15, 10m)
Shunt-fed 15m tower (160, 80m)

Equipment:
K2/100 w/ KAT100 running 100 watts
N1MM software on ancient Toshiba laptop

Comments:

A personal best in WPX CW! I worked a little over twice what I did  
last year,
but my score is more than five times last year. (I'm surprised I  
scored better
in the CW portion than in the SSB portion, too)

Part-time operation: a few hours Friday evening, an hour Saturday  
morning, a
few more hours that evening, and several hours Sunday afternoon.

This contest highlights a change in my CW skills over the last few  
years. Nine
years ago, I could make only 10 q/hr in this contest, and ran at CW  
speeds of
about 20-22 wpm. This time, I averaged nearly 50 q/hr, and was very  
comfortable
with CW at 30 wpm. Only heard a couple of stations who were going too  
fast for
me.

The most interesting moment of the contest was hearing KH6ND/KH5 on 40m
Saturday morning. He was sending quite fast, and it took me a moment  
to piece
is callsign together. When I figured it out, I listened a couple of  
more times
in disbelief. KH5? Palmyra? Last I knew, this island is uninhabited  
-- why
isn't there an enormous pileup on this guy? Finally, I called and  
worked him
easily for a new one.

Had some good runs on 15m late Sunday afternoon. Rate meter topped  
nearly 150
q/hr. This was tremendous fun! Although many of the callers were  
stateside, a
few DX stations called in, too. I probably could have scored more  
points by S &
Ping all the DX, but I was having too much fun running.

Ugliest moment occurred in the first hour of the contest. I was  
calling CQ on
20m, and had been there for a few Qs for a couple of minutes. Then a  
station
zero beats me and starts jamming for a couple of minutes - sending  
long dahs.
This seriously affects my rate, but I ignore him and manage to work  
another
station. Then, he acts like he calls me, but actually calls CQ! I ask  
him to
PSE QSY, QRL QSY over and over, but he ignores me and just calls CQ  
on top of
me whenever I send anything. I finally had to QSY. The callsign of  
this LID is
YZ0Z, and he ought to be DQed for intentional interference. Behavior  
like that
has no place contesting.

Had a similar, but lighter moment on 15m Sunday night. I'm calling CQ  
and
someone comes on who is obviously tuning up a tube-type rig or amp.  
Signal
levels rapidly go up and down. This continues for about 2 minutes, when
finally, he calls me. I work him and he moves on. Why do people do  
this? The
tube finals will be just has happy a kHz up or down from the station  
you're
trying to work.

All in all, a good contest. I'm looking forward to FD and more CW  
operation.


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/ 
3830score/

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901