ARRL DX Contest - CW
=20
Call: N0DY
Operator(s):=20
Station:=20
Class: SOAB HP ASSISTED
QTH: IA
Operating Time (hrs): 18.5
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
----------------------
160: 7 6
80: 52 42
40: 117 60
20: 212 75
15: 229 78
10: 427 85
----------------------
Total: 1044 346 =3D 1083672
Comments:
It wasn't supposed to work out this way. The plans had been laid out, =
the
preparations made. I was going to nail this contest as it had a special =
meaning
to me. My very first contest ever was the ARRL CW last February, and for =
the 1
year anniversary the plan was to beat my score by a factor of 10.
I should have known better, although things started out well...
Due to a forecasted snowstorm with 6-10 inches of snowfall Thursday and =
Friday,
I put up a temporary Africa Beverage on Wednesday night. Temporary =
because it
has to cross my lane. Even with the lane crossing at 10 feet above the =
ground,
it's still low enough for UPS trucks to get snarled in. Fortunately =
there were
no UPS trucks.
By late afternoon Thursday, I was experiencing a constant dull headache =
which
(to make a long story shorter) accelerated to full body aches and fever =
by
0000Z on Friday, by which time I was on Advil on a continuous basis. I =
was
wishing I could just hang an Advil IV next to the rig to keep me going.
Conditions at the start of the contest were wonderful, particularly on =
the low
bands, where even from the black hole I was able to make a surprising =
number of
contacts on 80 meters and even a few on 160 - a treat since I'm limited =
to 100W
output on that band. 40 meters was just excellent and I got a small run =
going
despite having only a wire antenna.
By 0900Z, though, even continuous dosing with Advil wasn't keeping me =
sane. I
cut the power and went to bed, where I stayed for the next 30 hours =
alternately
freezing and overheating as the flu had its way with me.
When I awoke on Sunday morning, I felt a bit better, and with the =
constant aid
of my trusty companion Advil, I was able to return to the fray around =
1400Z.
The EU pileups on the fresh meat from Iowa were amazing on 10 meters. =
The front
end of my poor little Icom 746 just wasn't up to the task - nor, I'm =
somewhat
ashamed to say, was I. Having never been on the receiving end of a =
pileup that
large, I struggled to pull even partial calls out. Despite what seemed =
like
hundreds calling, the short term rate meter sometimes dropped below 100. =
Guess
I've still got a lot to learn.
At 1800Z I took a break to degunge myself (I'd been in my PJs for 36 =
continuous
hours - yucch) and when I returned things were still in great shape. I =
didn't
experience the usual midafternoon lull as 20 picked up where 15 and 10 =
left
off.
Final tally 18:33 operating time, 1044 Qs, 346 mults, 1,083,672 points.
73,
Jeff N0DY
P.S. If any of you with big pileup expertise would care to share your =
operating
tips with me, I'd be really happy to hear from you.
Jeff
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: =
http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
N0DY 1044 346 1083672SOAB HP ASSISTED =20
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