[SESprint] W4AU Claimed Score Aug 2009 NAQP CW SECC#2

[John Unger]

                     North American QSO Party, CW

Call: W4AU
Operator(s): W4AU
Station: W4AU

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: VA
Operating Time (hrs): 7.5
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
  Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   160:    0     0
    80:  140    33
    40:  186    37
    20:  205    44
    15:   50    16
    10:    0     0
-------------------
Total:  581   130  Total Score = 75,530

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Team: SECC #2


Elecraft K3 and TenTec Orion; KT-34A (pointed ~290 degrees mostly), and 
dipoles on 80 and 40.

I should have known that I would be in for some frustrating times in this 
contest when I walked out in the yard Saturday morning (after sleeping in 
relatively late...) and found half of my 40 meter Extended Zepp on the 
ground. Evidently, one of the now frequent thunderstorm wind-bursts had 
broken the antenna wire near one end during the night. The best I could do 
was to replace one side of that ~195' antenna with a simple dipole for 40. 
The big problem was that then I had no antenna for 160 meters. I also 
sorely missed the Zepp as my second radio's antenna for 10-20 when I am 
running with the beam on those bands

The antenna work was done in time for me to grab a quick lunch and then 
start checking the bands, where I was pleased to find the 15 was open in 
pretty good shape to TX, but with persistent QSB. I found 20 in good shape 
at the start and spent most of the first hour there and then went to 15 
when that band sounded good on the second radio. I made all of my 15 and 
most of my 20 meter contacts before I took a 1-hour dinner/rest break at 2130.

When I got back, I went right to 40, found a nice hole at 7034 and began 
running right away at decent rates while picking up some additional 20 
meter contacts on the second radio. I took the next step down in frequency 
about 0050 and went to 80, where I spent the next 2 hours on 3535 with the 
best rates of the contest for me. Then the flashes in the west started as 
the thunderstorms moved in, so I pulled the plugs and went to bed... Even 
with the Zepp up in the air, I may have never made any 160 Q's!

Definitely not my best effort, but it was great fun while it lasted. At 
least I don't have to water my garden for a while!

TNX for all the Q's.

73 - John, W4AU