ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW - 2023
Call: K4BAI
Operator(s): K4BAI
Station: K4BAI
Class: Single Op HP
Class Overlay: Limited-Ant
QTH: GA
Operating Time (hrs): 22:16
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 56
40: 508
20: 143
15: 259
10: 0
------------
Total: 966 Sections = 85 Total Score = 164,220
Club: South East Contest Club
Comments:
I knew going in that it would be a part-time effort this year because my wife
and I had tickets to a traveling show called "Four Phantoms" at our
local Rivercenter Theatre. Before the contest, I had some reports of a very bad
signal on 10M described as from an antenna arcing. I was using an 88' center
fed zepp wire. So, I moved to 15 and made no QSOs on ten, which had sounded very
good. No further bad signal reports though. I have never experienced 15M as
good as it was generally this year. Usually, even when I had a triband beam
working, I have been unable to run much on 15M. This year was different and also
was different in that I am usually not able to work weak stations close in, but
more than say 100 miles. This year, the first QSO was with N6NT in NC about 250
miles away and I had a lot of similar QSOs. Also had some good sections call me
on 15 such as KL7SB and WP2AGJ. The latter called when I had decided to give up
hoping he would call me after I heard him S&P others and I needed his
section. This year, I decided that when I had to change the antenna tuner for
the zeppfor a new band, if I had a second antenna for the band I was leaving,
I'd turn onthe CQ repeat and maybe someone would call while I was adjusting the
tuner. I was about to change from 15 to 20 using the antenna tuner, so I had
the CQ going on 15 using the 40M diple and that's when VI called for my only QSO
with that mult!
I worked as long in he wee hours of Sunday morning so that it seemed I had
worked every station still on 40 and 80, I took a break for sleep. The next
morning, I had already used up my maximum off time, so I didn't take out any
half hour breaks afterwards, but did have short non-operating breaks for lunch
and dinner with my understanding XYL. When I started back after the sleep break
I was still missing 6 mults (SB, PR, TER, NB, AK, and VI). I doubted I could
get a sweep of sections this year. But in the end I did. The last section
needed was SB and I kept looking for W6TK and finally found Dick near the end.
Later I realize that N6MW whom I had called without an answer, was also in SB.
I should have tried harder to work him. Thanks for all QSOs. My first ARRL SS
was in 1955, back when there were fewer sections and it ran 40 hours max over
two weekends and there were fewer mults. (We did have Canal Zone KZ5 as a mult.
Hawaii and Alaska were mults but were not yet states.) In August 1955, I had
completed WAS with ND as the last state and ARRL didn't make me reapply when we
went to 49 and then 50 states. A lot of fun this weekend and nice to work so
many old friends. Hope to work you all again from Bonaire with KU8E and N8VW as
PJ4A in CQ WW CW later this month and as Pj4/K4BAI outside the contest. 73,
John, K4BAI.
TS590SG, Alpha 78. One KW on 80, 40, and 15, but only about 300W on 20M. Amp
needs repairs. Antennas: 80M inverted vee dipole very low. 40M low dipole,
20M low dipole. 88' center fed zepp up about 45 feet. N1MM+ for logging.
WinKeyer USB with Begali Sculpture Janus paddle.
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