[PVRCNC] CQWW - 160 CW (N1LN)

Tue Feb 2 22:22:15 EST 2010

Impressive score!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Meier" <bemeier at bellsouth.net>
To: "'PVRC'" <pvrc at mailman.qth.net>; "'PVRCNC'" <pvrcnc at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 9:46 PM
Subject: [PVRCNC] CQWW - 160 CW (N1LN)


> Call: N1LN
> Operator(s): W0UCE, N3ND, N1LN
> Station: N1LN
>
> Class: Multi-Op HP
> QTH: NC
> Operating Time (hrs): 39:54
>
> Summary:
> Total:  QSOs = 1533  State/Prov = 58  Countries = 70  Total Score = 
> 674,688
>
> Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
>
> Comments:
>
> After the excellent conditions enjoyed for ARRL-160 in December and the 
> band
> conditions for the weeks just prior to CQWW-160, I was optimistic that 
> many
> scores above 1M points would be turned in again this year.  Last year our
> score
> was 857,736, so we were optimistic we might be one of them.   Thanks to
> Mother
> Nature, it was not to be.   We were even 30% below last year.
>
> When I host a multi-op event I never open as a lead operator.  I want to 
> be
> available to respond to any out of the gate technical issues.  Well, this
> year
> we had a couple.  We were not 10 minutes into the event when an email
> arrived
> from Ron, N4XD, informing me we had TERRIBLE key clicks.  As I am one that
> typically comments (really complains) about others with Key Clicks I was 
> not
> about to ignore Ron and keep going. It MUST BE FIXED. I did not suspect 
> the
> K3,
> so what else had changed.  The quick solution was to simply change the TX
> Delay
> from 8ms to 12ms.  Our assumption was that with the K3, QSK Master and
> AL1500
> in the configuration, the delay needed to be greater than the standard K3
> 8ms.
> A quick check listening with my other K3 and we were good to go.   I
> answered
> Ron's email that I thought it was fixed.  He quickly replied - THANKS, all
> better!   The next issue was what seemed to be excessive RF getting into 
> the
> beverage selection box.  The LEDs for unselected beverages were blinking 
> in
> sync with the keying.  I had also removed my ICE model 119D from the
> beverage
> input coax.  The only time they blinked was when the W or NW beverage was
> selected.  They are the closest beverages to the XMIT antenna.   A quick
> re-cabling to put the 119 back in the circuit and that was fixed.   OK, 
> what
> is
> next? ?  Fortunately, there were no additional technical issues the rest 
> of
> the
> weekend.  Good thing as we had more than enough snow storm related RX
> problems
> to deal with.
>
> Speaking of Mother Nature, North Carolina was definitely in her sites for
> the
> bad weather this past weekend.  If you had the opportunity to look at a
> Doppler
> radar map at any time, well, you would have seen the storm clearly focused
> on
> NC.   On Friday night there were many US stations calling that we just 
> could
> not pull out of the QRN.  Then at about 05:00 UTC on Saturday the west and
> northwest beverages became virtually useless with noise levels constant at
> S9
> to +10. Fortunately that was when we were looking toward EU for their
> sunrise.
> That noise condition on the W/NW beverages stayed bad until Sunday morning
> at about
> 01:00 UTC.  At that time, when EU started calling, the QRN on all 
> beverages
> jumped up to between S6 & S7 with bursts well above S9.  A quick check on
> the XMIT
> Vertical-T gave an S-Meter reading over S9+30.  The timing could not have
> been
> worse.   By 09:00 UTC the QRN became reasonable and signals started to
> emerge
> - but EU was gone.
>
> Here is a comparison between 2009 and 2010.
>
> Year    10 point        5 point         2 point         Countries
> 2009    332             116             1299            74
> 2010    240             96              1197            70
>
> OK, time for the fun comments.
>
> Jack (W0UCE) and Dan (N3ND) rounded out the M/S team.  Not only are they
> both
> great operators, but they are also fun to watch off the air.  They have 
> been
> friends for a long time and it really shows.  The jokes, comments and the
> occasional shot (hard to believe) made for an outstanding on and off the 
> air
> fun time.   When Jack is part of the crew you always know that Chef Archie
> is
> close by making another one of his outstanding dinners.  As this was a 48
> hour
> contest we had the opportunity to sample two dinner creations.   Saturday
> night
> was Archie's masterpiece of the weekend featuring a crock pot sensation.
> Pork
> loins, potatoes, carrots, leeks and onions simmered all day in the kitchen
> sending the pre-dinner aroma all around the house.  Of course dinner 
> started
> with shrimp cocktail and, if desired a glass of white or red wine.  Yes,
> just
> another simple contest gourmet's delight!
>
> We would like to thank everyone that called us, had the patience to hang
> with
> us and send the repeats until we were able to copy through the QRN, and as
> always, those that spotted us on the cluster.  With every spot comes a 
> much
> appreciated rate burst.
>
> Congratulations to the other M/S entries.   All the scores are down some
> from
> last year, but the top of the chart call signs remain the same.
>
> 73 and see you next time,
> Bruce, N1LN
>
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