ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB
Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV VE8DW
Station: VE8EV
Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 0
40: 26
20: 417
15: 67
10:
------------
Total: 510 Sections = 77 Total Score = 78,540
Club:
Comments:
An old Inuit proverb says: â??When the Northern Lights with my eyes I see, will
make my kilowatt QRPâ??
Sweepstakes from the high Arctic is a DX contest for us and particularly
challenging because all the stateside stations QSY to the low bands so
early to work their neighbours all night long with low dipoles. Our only
neighbours are a handful of KL7â??s and VY1EI all about 1000 miles *south*
of us. To that end,we spent the week before the contest working on
amplifiers, installing big antennas for 40m and 80m, and praying for K=0
during the contest.
Our goal was simple: get a sweep and put as many stations in the log as
we could. Iâ??ve been the last section for others many many times but never
even come close to a sweep myself. With all the 75th anniversary promotion
and VE8DWâ??s help in the second chair I knew this would be the year.
Conditions were good on Saturday afternoon. Worked a bunch of stations on
20m right before the contest (including a VE2) and got lots of reports
saying we were loud. After the opening bell we had some nice runs on 15m
and 20m in the first few hours. Then the local K-index shot up to 5 and all
our pre-contest plans went in the dumpster. Despite our best efforts we
only managed to put 20 Qâ??s in the log between 0100z and 0800z when we finally
called it a night and grabbed a few hours of sleep.
Conditions were still dodgy at 1200z the next morning but in between mostly
unanswered CQâ??s we managed to get VO1MP, KP2TM and VY2LI into the log so a
sweep was looking like it might be a possibility. Finally, at 1730z
conditions improved, someone spotted us and we finally got a run going. The
bands started getting shaky again around 2100z so we took a break to regroup
and figure out what to do next. Our hastily installed internet connection
to the contest site would drop out every time we transmitted so with about a
dozen sections remaining for the sweep and 20m the only band open to the US
we decided to S&P, keep one eye on the packet spots and focus on multiplier
hunting. After only 45 minutes we were down to just six left and went back
to running in the hopes that theyâ??d come to us. As usual, we found a hole in
the QRM and started calling with almost no takers. Finally we got spotted and
then the rate jumped from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye. When NP4Z called
in at 2002z I knew we were getting close. KP2 and KP4 are usually easy from
here on 15m but that band didnâ??t open at all on Sunday. After a nice little
run the aurora popped up again at 2227z (exactly) and the rate went back to
zero just as fast as it came up. I actually got up and looked outside to see
if an antenna fell down or a wayward snowmobile had snagged a feedline! Still
needing VE2, VT, SC and LAX we decided to take another 30 minute off-period
and get set up for the home stretch. I was pretty sure weâ??d find LAX
somewhere but after 20m closes the only hope for the last three would be
on 40m. Before we got back on the air I went out in the snow and re-tuned the
80m vertical for forty so weâ??d have that in addition to the 40m wire beam and
both positions would be able to S&P on the same band.
As I hoped, in the last gasp on 20m we worked AI6V to put LAX in the log.
At 0030z we took our last off-period and then turned our attention to 40m.
The good news was that the aurora had finally gone away and 40m was open from
coast-to-coast-to-coast. The bad news was that almost all the stations heard
were already in the log, and there was no sign of our last three for the sweep.
I made a half-hearted attempt at running in the last hour but the
band dropped off again and all we could hear was the fat lady singing.
So, no sweep for us this time. Next year for sure!
Highlight: Getting a brief auroral Es opening on 20m Saturday evening and
working VY1EI off the back of his beam to put our own section
in the log. Didnâ??t heard any other NT stations at all for the
rest of the contest.
Lowlight: The histrionics on Sunday morning about the US stations working
(minor) us being â??out of the bandâ?? when we were running on 14.150. Any
modern radio that has a significant part of its signal *below*
the suppressed carrier frequency on USB shouldnâ??t be on the air
at all. I moved up anyway though, just to keep everyone happy.
Pet peeve: Logging software that wonâ??t take NT as the section. The official
ARRL abbreviation for this â??sectionâ?? has been â??NTâ?? for
almost ten
years. Before that it was NWT. Itâ??s never been YT. Still, it
sounded like some were having issues when they tried to log us.
I ran into the same problem during SS CW.
I was amazed at the 2K+ serial numbers some guys were handing out towards
the end. Contesting must be even more fun down there than it is up here!
I was also surprised at the number of QRP stations in our log (almost a
dozen).
Iâ??d planned on pausing every once in a while during runs to listen for QRPers
but it looks like it wasnâ??t necessary. Working from inside the auroral zone
makes me very sympathetic to QRP ops. I feel your pain, lol.
All in all, we had an absolutely great time. Thanks to all for the Q's and
weâ??re already looking forward to next year!
73
John - VE8EV
Wally â?? VE8DW
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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