ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB
Call: W7UQ
Operator(s): KC7RSO, KL9A, KD7YBZ, KC7QCS
Station: W7UQ
Class: School Club LP
QTH: Moscow ID
Operating Time (hrs): 21
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160:
80: 79
40: 29
20: 232
15: 316
10: 17
------------
Total: 673 Sections = 77 Total Score = 103,602
Club: Worldwide Young Contesters
Comments:
What a GREAT TIME!!!
The boys at W7UQ came together a week prior to the contest to discuss our
antenna situation. Two big items were on our list to do before the contest.
First our TH7 needed to be tied down, this was due to rotor being broken. Yes
we have a new one but have not climbed the tower yet. Second we needed to get
something up that would get us on 40 meters. Both of these items were taken
care of the day before the contest Aaron (KC7RSO) threw together a 40-meter
dipole. Kyle (KB5TSS), Chris (KL9A) and our one of our club advisors Jeff
(KD7PHG) got the wire strung and the beam tied down. Thanks guys you made our
contesting effort worth while for the club!
Saturday opened with anxious moments before the contest began. We had one
non-ham student Trent N. with his son stop by the shack and watch the opening
moments of the contest happen. From there the rates went upward Aaron enjoyed
the first 4 hours with speedy rates. Chris got there just in time to relieve
Aaron and work 80 meters. One interesting thing happened on 40 Saturday night
the band was strange and thus we did not get many Q?s. 80 meters managed to
improve our spirits until we got tired. Calling it quits at 0549 Z at 282 Q?s
and 67 mults.
Sunday morning started bright and early for Aaron. He immediately jumped on 20
meters and watched the bands open up. The rates were down from the night before
but that did not stop him from working everything he could hear. Geoff B
(KC7QCS) stopped by for some moral support and was set right down at our other
radio to look for stations to work even though he did not stay long he pulled
two mults out of the pack DE and CT to put into our log in between contacts on
the main rig. GREAT JOB GEOFF! Chris made one more appearance before work and
slammed Q?s into the log on 20 meters (his favorite band HI HI). THEN DISATER
STRUCK! The K index rose from a quiet 2 to over 4! We were sunk. 20 and 15
were wiped out the only stations we could hear were a couple 6?s that were
running stations we could not hear. I guess that is what you get when you live
in the Pacific Northwest and feel the effects from geomagnetic storms. Luckily
after an hour or so, things settled down and we recovered.
Doug (KD7YBZ) a computer science major and his wife Delayna (Future HAM) stopped
by to help out in the contest. Doug having some experience with HF (Last years
SS and Field day) teamed up with his wife at one rig. Doug was at the mic and
Delayna had a pen and paper in hand to check the exchange. GREAT TEAM EFFORT!
Doug and Delayna left Aaron to the task of finishing the contest. But that was
not to be when Doug made reappearance and took the rig by the horns and worked
stations himself. The last hour he ran on 80 meters until the rate got to fast
for him. Good job Doug you did a wonderful and slugged your way through it.
We look forward to next year when we will attempt to bump up the ID school
record.
Thanks to everybody who worked us:
73 from Aaron Parker and The University of Idaho ARC W7UQ
Great moments:
Listening to some poor guy on 20M saying over and over to the guy in SFL ?The
frequency is in use?. Then hearing the same guy on 40 doing the same thing to,
I think the same station. Go figure.
Working Dan N6MJ a new found contesting friend of Aaron and old buddy of Chris
Working NK7U a great contesting friend for Chris and Aaron. Thanks for our
desperately needed mult from OR Joe.
Finally being called by VE7FO for the mult from BC. The multiplier that was so
geographically close but never heard until the last hour.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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