North American QSO Party, CW - August
Call: NJ8J
Operator(s): NJ8J
Station: NJ8J
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: GA
Operating Time (hrs): 9:57
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80: 47 25
40: 123 38
20: 68 24
15: 71 29
10: 11 8
-------------------
Total: 320 124 Total Score = 39,680
Club: South East Contest Club
Team: SECC #1
Comments:
Equipment:
Alinco DX-77T
LDG AT-11MP Automatic Antenna tuner
Antennas:
100' OCF Dipole fed with ladder-line
Logger: N1MM
This is, I believe, a record NAQP CW for me. Almost all S&P - I tried
running a couple of times, but didn't get many takers.
I checked the NCDXF beacons in the half hour before the contest start,
and heard nothing on 10, but did hear 4U1UN on 15, so I started out on
15. Did an hour on 15, then an hour and a half on 20, then back to 15.
Took an hour break at 2109. Jumped over to 10 for 20 minutes when I
noted that conditions on 15 were improving and figured 10 might be open
- yup! Bounced between 15 and 20 until I dropped down to 40 at 0130.
40 was pretty productive for me. Bounced between 40 and 80 until the
end of the contest. I tried 160 once or twice, but couldn't make myself
heard.
In the past, I've been used to seeing the 10-qso rate meter hang in the
30-40 range when doing S&P. This contest, it was more like in the 50-60
range, and occasionally 80. At one point, the rate meter hit 120.
Need to get some different wire up for 10 - the 100' wire doesn't do
well on 10. I've been looking at trying a half-square, but haven't
figured out where to hang it yet.
The first few hours of the contest, I seemed to be bothered with some
sort of background noise. Finally figured out that the noise blanker
had been turned on. Since I rarely turn it on (on the DX-77T, the noise
blanker isn't worth turning on), it took awhile to realize that that was
the problem. Copy was much easier with it off.
Ben
--
Ben Coleman nj8j at benshome.net
"I love the way Microsoft follows standards. In much the
same manner that fish follow migrating caribou."
Paul Tomblin
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