[Elecraft] WAS in SweepStakes in 6 Hrs (Almost)

[Daniel Reynolds]

I put in about about 6-7 hours of SS - all on 40m with the K2 and a long
buddipole up 8 ft in the front yard. About 4 hours were between 0300-0730z and
woke up early Sunday morning to put in 2-3 more hours (1230-1500). Had no time
after church to work any more SS (was hoping to get on 20m and get more
sections). I worked roughly 50 sections and I think I made almost 100 contacts.
I turned it all off when it was time to leave for church, and I do remember my
last contact broke the 10,000 pt barrier - and I was a very satisfied operator
(and thrilled with the K2).

I haven't worked 40m much late at night, but I think I'll try to do it more
often when I can't sleep. California was amazingly open after sunrise - but I
think I was aided more by the super contesting station's antennas and
conditions than my 5W and buddipole. With my compromise antenna and QRP signal,
I would tune around (with the pre-amp off) and look for signals that were at
least s9 to work. If they were s5 or less, I usually found that they could not
even hear me. Most of the time, I was averaging 15 contacts/hr, and maxed out
close to 20 in the morning.

Not being a highspeed (>20 wpm) CW op - I found that I had to use a CW
receiving 'crutch' on my pc. It saved my hide about 75% of the time ... but my
ear was improving towards the end, and I found that I was getting comfortable
with the 25wpm ops.

For W0NTA - I heard you Sunday morning working a KS station (and you were quite
strong into OK), and wish I could have worked you - it would have been my only
2-way QRP contact.

- Daniel / AA0NI
K2 #3421