SPRINT SUMMARY SHEET
Contest Date : 08-Sep-96
Callsign Used : AD4VH
Operator : MICHAEL C. TOPE AD4VH
Category: Low-Power
Default Exchange : S/N MIKE FLA
Name : Michael C. Tope
Address : 200 Easy St.
City/State/Zip : Melbourne, FL 32934
Country : United States
Team/Club : Florida Contest Group
BAND Raw QSOs Valid QSOs Points Mults Antenna
________________________________________________________________________________
80CW 33 32 32 80/40 Parallel Inverted-V @50'
40CW 89 88 88 " "
20CW 88 88 88 Same w/coax tied, fed
against radials
(my 160 antenna)
____________________________________________________________________________
____
Totals 210 208 208 39
Final Score = 8112 points
Hours of Operation = 4:00
Rig: Ten-Tec Paragon
Software: TR Log 4.50
Soapbox Comments
___________________
This was my first full 4 hour Sprint since leaving Ohio in 1989. The contest
seemed to run opposite to my expectations. I figured 20 meters would be a
bust given my poor antenna. Turns out that 20 was my best band.
Unfortunately, I had the opposite problem on 80 meters - the rate meter just
kept dropping. Guess it's my W8 conditioning which says that 20 will be a
chore, but you'll make up for it on 80 meters in the last hour. Florida
seems to be the exact opposite of Ohio. Between the lousy propagation, the
intermod on my Paragon, and the fact that I was running barefoot - 80 meters
was like a bad root canal.
The contest also proved to be an ethical challenge for me. Unfortunately, I
failed it in real time, but am hoping that post contest repentance will
prove adequate. My log shows 210 valid qsos, but I will only claim 208
(Tree, you may see fit to reduce this further). The first case was a blatant
infraction on my part. I answered a CQ on 40, completed the contact, and
then paused just a little too long before CQing. Somebody, I think it was
Ralph, N5RZ, plopped down on the frequency and started CQing at which time
answered him (still legal - mind you). After completing this contact, I
should have QSYed, but this strange overpowering desire to CQ overtook me. I
caved into the greedy temptress, rate crave, and hit the CQ button on TR. A
station answered me, and I logged the contact. Immediately, a terrible wave
of guilt washed over me - I had broken the rules. Strangely though, in the
moment of decision, that little demonic voice in my head took control and
said "Its allright, nobody will ever know - you don't have time to stop and
think this over, the clock is ticking!". In the midst of the adrenalaine
pumping frenzy of the final hours, I forgot exactly who the innocent players
were in my dance with the devil (I think the sequence was AA0CY, N5RZ, and
W6RGG) - probably a very mild form of the same psychological denial that
O.J. uses to live with himself. At any rate, I plead guilty to count number
one of Round Robin qsoing and submit to the mercy of the contest commitee.
Infraction number two may be a gray area, I frankly don't know for sure.
This time temptation reared her ugly head in the form of a rubber clock. I
started working Craig AA3HM at 03:59 UTC but didn't finish sending my
exchange until the clock had clicked over to 04:00. Even though a complete
exchange appears to have been made, I am not sure wether Craig logged the
contact, since I never heard a "dit dit" or and "x" after I finished
sending. I set the computer to WWV before the contest so I can't claim any
fudge factors there. Relativistic effects and ionospheric delay did cross my
mind, but I suspect they wouldn't be significant here. Oh well, at least
they weren't multipliers - that would have been really painful.......MT
I, by virtue of my statement below, have taken part in the NCJ North American
Sprint, conscientiously applying my most ethical interpretation of the rules
for this contest as set forth in the National Contest Journal.
Date ___9/9/96___ Signed ________MCT__________________ Call _AD4VH______
_______________________________________________________________________________
Michael Tope, AD4VH (ex KD8NS)
200 Easy Street
Melbourne, FL 32934
Phone: (407) 259-7494
Eail: mtope@iu.net
_______________________________________________________________________________
"It is the empty space inside the vessel that makes it useful" - Lao Tzu
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