ARRL PHONE SWEEPSTAKES 1995
CALL: W2CRS MODE: SSB
CATEGORY: SINGLE OP UNASSISTED, LOW POWER
SECTION: COLORADO
SENT: # A de W2CRS 55 CO
BAND QSOs ANTENNA
160 38 FW LOOP
75 150 Hytower
40 267 Hytower
20 632 KT-34XA at 41'
15 369 KT-34XA
10 1 KT-34XA
TOTALS 1457 77 mults = 224,378
After buying a used FT-1000, I thought I would try low power this year after
4th place QRP 1993 and 3rd place 1994. What a difference! I had almost no
runs and barely used my audio keyer operating QRP. This year at just under
150 watts, I ran about 95% of Qs and used the keyer for CQing. I thought the
competition in A category might be a lot tougher than QRP, but apparently it
was not.
Using an omni directional antenna on 40/75 was frustrating. Most contacts
with east coast were a struggle. Definitely need to improve that for next
year.
Best Q-rate was 100 on 15M the first hour. I was very tired the last 4 hours
and my Q-rates were in the 20's and 30's which included a half hour when a
Class B 6-station moved 1/2 Kc below me on 20M where I had been for 2 hours.
I politely asked him to move down a little which he didn't. I should have
QSY'd to keep my Q-rate up, but I didn't. Instead I moved down the 1/2 Kc to
his frequency where I could actually hear a bit better when he was on, but
not very well. My Q-rate dropped to about 20 that half hour, and I was
angry, tired, and depressed, the low point of the contest for me. The high
point of the contest was when someone asked me Sunday afternoon, "if I was
winning." I never even considered that and a half hour later worked VE5GV
who was way ahead of me!
Worked lots of SF, but only two PR and one NWT/YUK.
Yes, it was nice to hear so many CK 95 contestors!
73, Doug W2CRS (greying factor be damned)
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