[Elecraft] Output power being eaten

[Bill Frantz]

I didn't have a good night in the K1USN Slow Speed Test. I started
more-or-less on time and tried to answer CQs. None of the 
stations I tried
could hear me. My SPE 1.3K amp said I was putting out about a kilowatt,
although the antenna tuning on my normally low SWR 40M dipole 
needed to be
redone. I was receiving many stations, at normal levels.

After a few minutes, I started searching for causes, since 
operators calling CQ weren't hearing me and sending CQ again. 
Some of these operators had worked other stations, so I knew 
their radios were basically working. I tried maybe a half a 
dozen stations.

Finally, in desperation, I raised the tune power in my K3 
exciter to 15W
and retuned the dipole yet again. Things started working and I 
managed to
check into the Elecraft 40M CW net via KD5ONS in OR at 0050z. 
With only 5
minutes in the contest left, I managed QSOs with W6SX and VE5MX. 
Thanks to
both of them.

My current theory about what was happening is that ice on the 
antenna was
eating transmit power, although receive seemed normal. Does ice 
seem a
reasonable explanation? What else could be the cause? I'd love 
to come up
with a believable answer. Even more so, avoid the situation in 
the future.

73 Bill AE6JV

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