ARRL NOVEMBER SWEEPSTAKES
Call used: K6LA Location: LAX
Category: Single Op All Band Mode: CW Power: 150W
Hours of Operation: 23:58
band QSOs points
160 0 0
80 95 190
40 320 640
20 407 814
15 294 588
10 26 52
TOTAL 1142 2284 X 78 multipliers = 178,152
Club or Team Name: SCCC
Comments:
This contest started out just amazingly well for me. I decided to run on
15 and S&P with the 2nd radio on 10. I had 89 Qs the 1st hour with 9 on the
2nd radio. Signals were strong on 15, even the Q stations. Signal were
fairly weak on 10, but easily readable and easy to make 2nd radio Qs.
In preparation for going low power, I had taken the tuners and amps out of
the coax lines (kind of like swimmers pysching themselves up by shaving
their
bodies before a big meet,) and it felt like the extra fraction of a DB made
a big difference. In the 2nd hour, things just took off. I made 100 QSOs in
an hour for the 1st time ever in CW SS, and with low power at that. That
included 8 on the 2nd radio. What a rush! When I worked N5TJ in the 2nd
hour, I was actually ahead by one. As 10 died out after 3 hours, I moved the
2nd radio to 20 and continued CQing on 15. Shortly thereafter, I started
CQing on 20 and S&Ping on 15. I felt like every move I made was the right
one at the right time. I moved the S&P radio to 40 around 0200. The
transition to CQing on 40 and S&Ping on 20 was great. Usually, 20 dies
before 40 is good from the west, but every lower band was long just when the
next higher band died out. When I worked N5KO after 6 hours, he was only
ahead by 16. When I worked AD6DO for #605, he gave me #610. I was really
disappointed, as I thought I was doing great, and Dan has become my major
competition, but then he gave me a PREC of B, which was quite a surprise, as
I thought he was competing with me for the SCCC W6UQF Memorial Combined CW &
Phone Low Power trophy which he won last year.
I took a little over 3 hours off at 0800 with 779 QSO's in the log. I
figured I wanted to max out time on 10, 15 & 20 on Sunday. I thought making
my goal of 1175 QSOs was in the bag. Boy, was I wrong. As good as Saturday
was, Sunday was bad. I got on for a few minutes and then took a half hour
break waiting for 20 to open. I did that three times! 20 opened late, 15
opened VERY late, and 10 not at all. I never had a 40 QSO hour on Sunday,
and actually had only 4 hours over 30 QSOs. What a drag! I also chased VO1MP
around the band, and never worked him, missing NL for the sweep. I heard him
working other guys twice, and called CQ a few Khz up, but it didn't work out.
Nevertheless, this was my best CW SS ever, as I guess I should be in the top
5 low power. I love CW SS. - Now for the masochistic self flagalation, I get
to do SS Phone low power so I can get my name on the W6UQF trophy. I sure
hope the flares stay away, or it will be painful fighting it out on 20 & 40.
73. Ken, K6LA - Ken Six Los Angeles, KWIDELITZ@DELPHI.COM
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