[PVRCNC] K4TMC ARRL 10M SO LP SSB

[k4tmc at aol.com]

 ARRL 10-Meter Contest

Call: K4TMC
Operator(s): K4TMC
Station: K4TMC

Class: SO SSB LP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 12.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   CW:    0     0
  SSB:  319   100
-------------------
Total:  319   100  Total Score = 64,640

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:



Decided to do this as an S&P only effort.  I know running gives you a better rate andmore QSO’s, but I like the challenge of the hunt versus waiting for them tofind me.  I guess that is why I do notstay in the same spot when I go fishing offshore. Plus, I was not able to put in as much time as I had hoped.

 
Living in a restricted neighborhood with no tower androtator; you have to improvise, thusly: Antennas this year included my old 6element Rope Gun yagi (re NCJ 5/6-1998) at 45 ft to the NE; a second 6 ele ropeyagi at 30 ft to the S; 4 element OWA at 40 ft to the W; 3 ele wire yagi inattic at 20 ft to the W; and 50 ft collinear 5/8 WL wire vertical (N1LOdesign).  Using an Ameritron RCS8V remoteswitch in the back yard allows for quick rotation of the array patterns.  All except the attic yagi are supported bylarge oak trees in the back yard.  I hadspent most of my spare time since the Nov SS SSB getting all of the arraysrepaired (oil-soaked oak wood dowel center insulators had rotted) and up forthe contest.  The 6 ele arrays playedgreat allowing me to get through to most stations on the first or secondcall.  Yes, I know I should have beenrunning instead of S&P, but see above explanation.  The 3 ele attic yagi often did better intothe Midwest and central VE than the 4 ele at40 ft.  Looks like I need to upgrade to aRCS10 switch before next year’s contest – I have a few unused trees and some more aluminum.
 
The depth of stations in the middle of the country seemed tobe significantly smaller than what I remember from the last cycle.  CO and AZ were the most popular states in mylog.  I never heard OK, KS, LA orNE.  The number of CA stations seemedlow.  And, I never heard any Pacific orEast Asian stations.  I did hear someWest Coast stations working VK’s, but could not hear them.  So, I am wondering if the propagation tothose areas did not move down this far south.
 
Rig: K3/100
Antennas: see above

73,
Henry - K4TMC
Raleigh, NC