[SECC] NAQP SSB AA4LR Single Op LP

[Bill Coleman]

                   North American QSO Party, SSB - January

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

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

Summary:
Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
 160:   46    21
  80:  238    41
  40:  154    39
  20:   68    22
  15:   41    14
  10:   14     6
-------------------
Total:  561   143  Total Score = 80,223

Club: South East Contest Club

Team: SECC#2

Comments:

Antennas:
Cushcraft A3S/A743 at 15m high (40-10m)
80/40/20m trap dipole at 12m high (80,40,20m)
Shunt-fed 15m tall tower (160,80m)
Half-size K9AY loops (160,80,40m)

Equipment:
K3/100 w/ KAT3 running 100 watts
Heil Proset with HC-4 element

Comments:

Things came together this weekend for a full-time effort. 

A few hours before the contest, I heard some E-skip activity on 6m toward the northeast. So, I should expect 10m to perhaps be open.

Sure enough, 10m had an E-skip opening to the northeast. Sadly, not many folks were tuning 10m. Spent the first hour bouncing between 10 and 15m, then took 30 minutes off. 

20m and 15m were rather long, so no chance of running on those bands. I delayed going to 40m until 2120, trying to work out the higher bands. I could tell it wasn't going to be a personal record opportunity -- the conditions just didn’t warrant it.

40m rewarded me with high rates calling CQ. I took a quick scan of 20m then back to 40m for more running. I took 30 minutes at 2330z for dinner. 

Back at 0000z, it was time for 80m. That seemed terribly early to my senses, but the higher bands hadn't stayed open, and it was an hour after sunset. I found a spot high in the band and had a good run. Scanning 80m, I found myself heading to 160m at 0135z, which seems early. It was.

The rest of the contest was a concerted effort to find rate somewhere on the low bands. 160m yielded good results. 80m was a surprise. I ran for a solid hour just below 3700. Rates were good, and the last ten meter peaked at over 200/hour.

The 80/40/20m trap dipole was a stellar performer on 80m, and gave good results on 40m, too.

The K9AY loops WORK. They were greatly beneficial on 40 and 80m, and there were perhaps a dozen or more contacts I would not have completed without them. In
some cases signals that were not audible on the transmit antenna were Q5 on one of the loops. Often the signal would disappear on any other combination of loops. My push-button controller is a little cantankerous. The SE button tends to stick sometimes. I think I need to replace that switch.

I forgot about using diversity reception on the K3 until about the last hour of the contest. It was helpful on 160m. 

Overall, I'm satisfied with the performance of the station. Desk is at the right height, the antennas seem to be working, my headset didn't crush my head. Perhaps I need a more comfortable chair.


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

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