[SECC] NAQP CW NJ8J Single Op LP

[Ben Coleman]

                    North American QSO Party, CW - August

Call: NJ8J
Operator(s): NJ8J
Station: NJ8J

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: GA
Operating Time (hrs): 9:57

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:
   80:   47    25
   40:  123    38
   20:   68    24
   15:   71    29
   10:   11     8
-------------------
Total:  320   124  Total Score = 39,680

Club: South East Contest Club

Team: SECC #1

Comments:
Equipment:
Alinco DX-77T
LDG AT-11MP Automatic Antenna tuner

Antennas:
100' OCF Dipole fed with ladder-line

Logger: N1MM

This is, I believe, a record NAQP CW for me.  Almost all S&P - I tried
running a couple of times, but didn't get many takers.

I checked the NCDXF beacons in the half hour before the contest start,
and heard nothing on 10, but did hear 4U1UN on 15, so I started out on
15.  Did an hour on 15, then an hour and a half on 20, then back to 15.
 Took an hour break at 2109.  Jumped over to 10 for 20 minutes when I
noted that conditions on 15 were improving and figured 10 might be open
- yup!  Bounced between 15 and 20 until I dropped down to 40 at 0130.
40 was pretty productive for me.  Bounced between 40 and 80 until the
end of the contest.  I tried 160 once or twice, but couldn't make myself
heard.

In the past, I've been used to seeing the 10-qso rate meter hang in the
30-40 range when doing S&P.  This contest, it was more like in the 50-60
range, and occasionally 80.  At one point, the rate meter hit 120.

Need to get some different wire up for  10 - the 100' wire doesn't do
well on 10.  I've been looking at trying a half-square, but haven't
figured out where to hang it yet.

The first few hours of the contest, I seemed to be bothered with some
sort of background noise.  Finally figured out that the noise blanker
had been turned on.  Since I rarely turn it on (on the DX-77T, the noise
blanker isn't worth turning on), it took awhile to realize that that was
the problem.  Copy was much easier with it off.

Ben
-- 
Ben Coleman nj8j at benshome.net
 "I love the way Microsoft follows standards.  In much the
same manner that fish follow migrating caribou."
                                            Paul Tomblin