North American Sprint -- Contest Date 9/15/96
Low Power - Low Antenna
Station Callsign: AA4LR State: GA
band QSOs Antenna
20SSB 2 125' doublet, 15' up
40SSB 20 125' doublet, 15' up
80SSB 36 Mults 125' doublet, 15' up
-------------------------------
total: 58 28 = score: 1,624
Rig:
Venerable TS430S, Murch UT2000 tuner. 90 watts PEP SSB.
Comments:
Saturday was one of those days where nothing goes right. I was supposed
to pick up my airplane, which has been in the shop since July (at a
different airport from where it is based). The comedy of errors is far
too involved to go into here. After spending a total of 7 hours at two
airports, the plane turned out to be still broken.
The plane fiasco had used up a lot of spousal capital, and my wife had
had about enough of our two year old. So my contesting was delayed until
0100z when I put the two year old to bed. Was on the air by 0110z.
Started out on 40m, and was doing fairly well for 20 minutes. I decided
to bump up to 20m before it closed, but found I was too late. I could
hear a few signals, but they were very weak. Calling them brought almost
no response. I almost felt that if I had a beam, I could have worked
quite a few stations. After 10 minutes on 20m, it was back to 40m.
Ah, but 40m had changed! I was getting beat out much more frequently. I
did manage to "chain" a few times. Usually with this pipsqueak signal,
calling "CQ Sprint" yields no replies. After a minute, you go back to S &
P.
By 0220z, I felt I had 40m worked out, so I went to 80m for the rest of
the test. Go beat out innumerable times. Hate it when station "A" calls,
get beat out by "B", then station "B" calls, get beat out by "C", then
station "C" calls, get beat out by "D" -- who happens to be someone I
worked before. Then "D" can't get any answers. ARGH! It's impossible to
maintain any kind of rate this way.
'Pig farmers' have a sense of humour. Called "CQ Sprint" on a clear
frequency. Soon two 20 over S9 stations started a conversation about 500
Hz away -- "Shore is interesting how dem contesters can snuggle up so
close in frequency." "Yup, must be really good practice for 'em." -- I
took the hint and moved.
Heard KC1XX on 3.799 MHz with a crushing signal. Too bad he was working
WAE and not the Sprint.
I've got to a) get this doublet up higher, b) get my tribander back up.
Bill Coleman, AA4LR Mail: aa4lr@radio.org
Quote: "Not in a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
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