[PVRCNC] N1LN - ARRL SS CW

[Bruce Meier]

ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW

 

Call: N1LN

Operator(s): N1LN

Station: N1LN

 

Class: SO Unlimited HP

QTH: NC

Operating Time (hrs): 19.5

Radios: SO2R

 

Summary:

 Band  QSOs

------------

  160:    0

   80:  274

   40:  373

   20:  297

   15:   60

   10:    2

------------

Total: 1006  Sections = 83  Total Score = 166,996

 

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

 

Comments:

 

Saturday evening started out great. The rates were not great but very good
and I was ahead of last year and really wanted to put in the full 24 hrs.  I
had a pretty good 130 rate on 40 meters when the pager went off and the
phone rang. Trouble in one of the Hospital data centers.  My priorities
quickly changed. This was around 0100 UTC. The issue was quickly resolved
but I was off the air for more than 1 hour during prime time. When I finally
got back Murphy thought it would be entertaining to pay me a visit. My NE
beverage went totally dead. I spent a few minutes inside and outside trying
to get that fixed, but no joy. That is when I was very pleased to have
installed the north one. It worked well enough for a domestic contest, but
the NE must be fixed before the upcoming DX contests. The next thing to go
wrong was me. The original goal was to operate until around 0800 UTC but
that was not going to happen. By 0615 UTC I was too tired to continue, so it
was time to go to bed. 

 

On Sunday I went out in the daylight to check the NE beverage. Everything
looked and tested fine.  Came in the house and was pleased to hear it was
working.  It continued to work for the rest of the contest.  UPDATE -
tonight it is dead again and will stay that way until this weekend.

 

Conditions were quite good from here on 80, 40 and 20.  As everyone has
already reported 40 meters was the best. Sunday afternoon was a real
sleeper, but SO2R, which I am not good at, not only helped the rate but the
constant activity kept me awake.

 

NNY was my last section for the sweep.   I saw NN2L spotted a couple times
much earlier, but was not going to join the ZOO. Poor Chuck. That was the
only time in this contest when BAD BEHAVIOR seemed to take over. Everyone
kept calling but no one was listening.  Then Sunday morning at 1458 UTC
AB2ZY called me on 40. Thanks Alan.  Just for good measure WB9G called in at
0145 UTC on Monday. Always better to have 2 in the log from the rare ones.
The section with the most Qs was Virginia with 53.  GO PVRC!

 

See you in a couple weeks for the SSB SS.  Have your DVRs ready for Sunday
afternoon.

 

73,

Bruce N1LN