[TVARC] ARRLDX CW K2PS SOAB HP

[K2PS Pete Stafford]

This is always a great contest, all beams are pointed our way, and lots and
lots of activity.

It was my first contest using the KPA500 amp, and while 500 watts doesn't
match up with the "big boys" (and certainly the K2PS antenna farm didn't), I
figured that since I had no chance to win, I may as well enjoy the better
contact rate and better ability to run stations.  (Unlike K2DM, whose
QRP-masochistic tendencies are becoming clear!)

I also swapped my 20-6m G5RV for a 20m inverted vee, since I wasn't using
the G5RV any longer.  The KAT500 tuner allowed me to operate on all of those
bands using my 40m inverted vee, and so getting a full-sized 20m antenna
made sense, and I think it played really well (and way better than before).
An added benefit of the tuner was that I could operate on 80m with the 40m
antenna, and it performed well beyond my hopes with 55 countries worked on
that band.  No chance at 160, but let's not get greedy.

My sleep schedule was erratic.  I'd be waking up much earlier than I
expected to, but that also allowed me to grab some good mults at the odd
times, including JT1CO in Mongolia.  Especially exciting was the terrific
European run (along with some JA callers) on 40 between about midnight and
230a Saturday night.  The low bands were excellent, with no QRN, so signals
were loud and stations could hear me on 80, even though they were weak here
and I was probably also the same.

Didn't expect much out of 15 and 10, and they ran true to form.  You had to
be there at the right time, so I kept breaking away from 40 and 20 to check
15 - in the morning for any EU stations, and the afternoon for the Caribbean
and SA.  But that paid off.

Special thanks to Rick, WD4JJI who, as a Community Watch guy, saw both
Saturday and Sunday copies of my Daily Sun still sitting on the driveway
Monday morning and was concerned that all was OK at the K2PS household.
Just focused on contesting...

73, Pete, K2PS

                    ARRL DX Contest, CW - 2020

Call: K2PS
Operator(s): K2PS
Station: K2PS

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: FL
Operating Time (hrs): 33

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:  101    55
   40:  410    81
   20:  423    84
   15:   85    46
   10:   18    15
-------------------
Total: 1037   281  Total Score = 873,348

Club: The Villages Amateur Radio Club

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