NA Sprint SSB Contest
Call: W6YX
Operator(s): N6DE
Station: W6YX
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: CA
Operating Time (hrs): 4
Summary:
Band QSOs Op Time
---------------------
80: 44 0:30
40: 119 1:45
20: 115 1:45
---------------------
Total: 278 Mults = 49 Total Score = 13,622
Club: Northern California Contest Club
Team: NCCC #1
Comments:
1 radio, 2 band changes
Most of the W6YX operators had conflicts for this one and couldn't participate.
Since I was ill with a bad cold, it looked like the station would go unused for
the Phone Sprint. Then AE6Y, debating his own activity in the SSB Sprint,
posted to the NCCC reflector that we could field a competitive team if enough
volunteers signed up with our team organizer W6FB. After we both agreed "I'll
show you mine if you show me yours," we signed up!
I couldn't even go to work on Thursday or Friday, staying home in bed, and
missing the practices of course. On Friday night, N6ED told me that the N6DE
he knew would make it on Saturday on a stretcher if necessary! After that
boost of confidence, I needed to nut it up and make it happen! I was still
sick during the Sprint, and had a hard time controlling my coughing fits, but
Ricola provided some relief.
When I arrived at the shack on Saturday before the Sprint, I started to use one
of the Heil headsets, and noticed the mic audio cut in and out. I found it to
be a flaky connection, exposed when I wiggled the grey mic connector. I
swapped in the other Heil headset, which worked well. Also, when testing the
SWR on the antennas, I couldn't find the 80m SSB dipole, nor could I find the
MFJ 259B. I drove up the hill to the tower to see if I could connect the 80m
wire in place of the 160m antenna. I opened the patch box and found a wasps
nest inside with several wasps ready to attack me. I quickly backed away, but
noticed the 75m antenna appeared to already be patched to some hardline. AA6XV
had just returned to the shack to work the 3B7 expedition and the Route 66 guys.
I asked him if he knew where the antenna was patched, and he suggested the 10m
position on the first switch. Sure enough, that was it! If I had only read
the label on the WX0B switch box! I had instead concentrated on coax patch
labels which took me off track. (The 160m antenna was labeled as the 75m
antenna; the 75m antenna was labeled as the 10m antenna.) I'll clarify that
labeling before the contest season.
The contest itself went better than expected. I was surprised that my rate was
almost the same for all four hours of the contest (rate sheet pasted below).
After the contest, I retired to a hot bowl of soup and a dose of Nyquil.
See you in the California QSO Party on October 6-7.
http://www.cqp.org
73...
-Dean - N6DE
QSO by hour and band.
80M 40M 20M Total Cumm OffTime
D1-0000Z ---+- ---+- 72 72 72
D1-0100Z - 26 43 69 141
D1-0200Z - 69 - 69 210
D1-0300Z 44 24 - 68 278
Total: 44 119 115
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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