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Contest Writeups - KM1P
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ARRL DX Phone Contest of 2001.

I called Tom, K1KI on Tuesday to see how plans were shaping up for a multi two. Turns out that Tom's possible work commitment ended up being definite, and the other "usual suspects" had commitments themselves, so I was offered the run of the station for the weekend. I had not done a single op effort for many years, and never from a station with any significant low band capability. I thought about it overnight and decided to accept the challenge, and enter as single op assisted.

I arrived at Huckleberry Mountain Friday at 2230Z or so, a little after Tom got home from work for station checkout. Since we only decided to go single op two days before, the station was still configured as it was for the multi two operation two weeks before. We moved a bunch of stuff around for an about an hour or so to try to get all controls together, dropping a StackMatch control box in the process. After the fall, the box made an ominous rattling sound. Since WX0B was not able to get a flight to Hartford in time for the 10M opening Saturday morning, we cobbled the thing back together as best we could with some vinyl tape. The 160M four square was known to be limited as 3 of the vertical elements were down due to some logging activity on a neighboring parcel of land. The remaining element had performed adequately two weeks before, but now the amp was completely unhappy with it. Tom volunteered to tromp out into the woods to investigate later that night. We also swapped out the Alpha 86 for an Alpha 77 as the '86 was acting kind of cranky. In case you care, carrying a '77 alone leaves nice purple dents in your fingers.

Started off with a good omen . 9M0M answered my CQ while I was establishing my run freq on 15M at about 2350Z Friday . and he was loud! He promised to come back in after 0000Z, but he never did. I never managed to work them on that band. I decided focus on 10 and 15 early on as the solar flux was relatively low to start with and forecast to decline. I stayed on 15 for the first hour, and then moved to 20. Looking back at the log, I am not sure why I moved so early . I seemed to have a decent rate to JA at the time.

I found an open spot at 14160, and stayed there for an hour or so, then moved down to 40 and 80. Somewhere around this time, Tom reported that his reconnaissance of the 160M antenna revealed that the lower 40M yagi fixed on Europe had become "unfixed", and tangled itself with 160M wire vertical. No 160M that night! I continued on with working whatever I could find on 40 and 80 until 0500Z.

My sleep strategy was to take two 5 hour breaks. One a little earlier on Saturday, and one a little later Sunday in the hopes that the 160M ant was fixed. Previous efforts I had made involving minimal sleep were sometimes disastrous . I remember a final exam fiasco in college after an all-night cram session, as well as a contest effort that I gave up on at about 1500Z on a Sunday morning because I felt so miserable.

First European worked on Saturday morning was TM0F at 0954Z. I moved to 15M at 1100, and to 10M at 1230. I concentrated on rate, ignoring most spots. I only chased after stuff I though might not be around all weekend like 5U, 5B4, OD5 and a couple of others. Had I done my homework, I would have known that some of these were big operations and were around all weekend. At one point, I went to chase an African mult, but he was a casual guy just handing out a few Q's. He went into 45 second apology to the pileup because he wanted to go. Seizing an opportunity to get a nice clear run frequency, I started calling "CQ Contest" the moment he signed off. Since half the pileup just kept calling the poor guy while he was on his soliloquy, they figured I had run him off. It was kind of fun to hear them yell at me. Dxers, remember: listen, listen then listen some more. I bounced back and forth between 15 and 10 all day until I moved to 20 at 2145. Rates were steady all day, and I had good success keeping a good run frequency. I found other stations, both US and DX very happy to move off if they encroached on my frequency. I think the key was to ask them to move off before anyone had answered their CQ . I also tried to be extra polite. Out of probably 20 requests over the course of the weekend, I think 19 complied . fantastic! Thanks for your cooperation guys.

Tom made a trip up the tower Saturday evening (antenna work is best done in the dark) and freed the 160M vertical wire from the 40M yagi. The amplifier was perfectly happy now. Unfortunately, conditions were rather poor, and I only managed 5 Q's on top band. On one trip to the band, I called C6A/N2VV unsuccessfully for a couple of minutes. K1ZM worked him easily, along with several other stations. For some reason he just couldn't hear me. I tuned around and found EA8BH, but he just CQ'ed in my face. I spotted him to see who else could work him, and along comes W1WEF and several others who worked him on the first or second call . what is wrong? Oops! I was transmitting into the 80M four square! Turned the antenna switch, touched up the amp and 90 seconds later had two more mults in the log.

Sunday morning I got of to a bit of a late start at 1049Z after hitting the snooze button a couple of times, but overall felt pretty good. Solid, steady runs kept me pumped up all through the morning. I started on 20M, moved to 15M at 1112, and was on 10M at 1224. Runs were great, and 10M was still going strong. I felt loud, beating KC1XX in several pileups. Found out that CT does not allow a "." in the power field when G0LIC called in with 59 100 milliwatts.

I know K1AR says "phone sucks", but some things happen on phone that you just don't get on CW. Like YV5LIX exclaiming "My god ... you're 50 over 9!!!" Then there is I3XKJ Marcellino who called in at 1600 Sunday and for some reason, seemed absolutely overjoyed to work me. He wanted to know my county, 10-10 number etc, but he was so darned happy and enthusiastic, I felt bad about sending him on his way. We chatted for 5 minutes or so, and I enjoyed the change of pace, as by this time some signs of fatigue were setting in.

While I was feeling much more awake than I expected to be, I still started to make mistakes. I somehow got the Charlie Kilo disease, where I kept starting to send my exchange as 59 Charlie Kilo. I think I caught myself each time, but I would not be surprised if there aren't a couple folks out there trying to figure out which state "CK". Another malady was Zero Zulu syndrome which manifested itself whenever a caller had both a 0 and a Z in his callsign. I had to QRS to about 5 WPM as my tongue just could not form the phonetics properly. I also made about 150 QSOs on 10 meters with the amp's bandswitch set to 15, and for a while the 20M tower appeared to be falling over.

Sunday was almost a carbon copy of Saturday until I decided that I did not have enough mults on 20M, so I moved there at 1854, with the hope that some of the "easy stuff" would call in. Sure enough, they did including YB and DU. Late that afternoon the rate tapered off, and I could not get any runs going anywhere. I spent a fair amount of time pointing and shooting at spots as they came in, and managed to keep the last 10 QSO rate meter above 100 for quite a while.

During the contest, nothing broke, except Tom's wife's car. After backing out of the garage, the engine died, and wisps of smoke came out from under the hood. I may have had had the 7 ele 10M beam pointed at it at the time.Oops.

Things to improve for the future are to make sure the station is configured for easy band changes. I probably missed 30-50 mults as I was afraid to leave my run frequency for the many seconds it took to flip bandswitches, tune amps etc. Other ergonomic improvements will include putting the rotor control boxes in the same room as the radios. I also might try to shorten my off times. I thought I did pretty well at avoiding the urge to be a DXer rather than a contester when juicy spots come along, although I did spend too much time chasing VP8 and the infamous TG Sunday evening. And I will talk to Marcellino BEFORE the contest.

Last Q in the log was EA3JE at 2359 on 80M. When the dust settled I had worked 2750 QSO's, 426 countries, 10 states and 3 Canadian provinces. Wow. I didn't know I had it in me. A big thank you goes out to K1KI who suggested I do the single op effort in the first place; his wife Kacy who fed me all weekend, N1RR for research and advice before the contest, and all the spotters who fed me mults.

-Joe KM1P

*******************************************************************

K1KI   ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX CONTEST  Single Unlimited  04 Mar 2001

Continent Statistics
                     160    80    40    20    15    10   All      %

North America   SSB    4    11    12    29    38    46   140    5.0
South America   SSB    0     5     3    31    39    68   146    5.3
Europe          SSB    0    50    99   470   598   996  2213   79.6
Asia            SSB    0     0     2    42   117    31   192    6.9
Africa          SSB    1     2     2    13    15    15    48    1.7
Oceania         SSB    0     0     0    11    13    16    40    1.4


BREAKDOWN QSO/mults

HOUR   160    80     40     20     15     10     HR TOT  CUM TOT

 0    .....  .....  .....  .....  85/12  .....    85/12   85/12
 1      .      .      .    44/26   4/0     .      48/26  133/38
 2      .      .    13/13  21/13   2/1     .      36/27  169/65
 3      .    15/13  17/10    .      .      .      32/23  201/88
 4      .    12/7   19/8     .      .      .      31/15  232/103
 5      .      .      .      .      .      .        .    232/103
 6      .      .      .      .      .      .        .    232/103
 7      .      .      .      .      .      .        .    232/103
 8    .....  .....  .....  .....  .....  .....    .....  232/103
 9      .      .      .     7/4     .      .       7/4   239/107
10      .      .      .   142/19    .      .     142/19  381/126
11      .      .      .     1/0  141/40    .     142/40  523/166
12      .      .      .      .    66/5   60/30   126/35  649/201
13      .      .      .      .      .   155/14   155/14  804/215
14      .      .      .      .     2/1   76/20    78/21  882/236
15      .      .      .      .     4/3   50/13    54/16  936/252
16    .....  .....  .....  .....   9/4   65/4     74/8  1010/260
17      .      .      .      .    49/7    1/0     50/7  1060/267
18      .      .      .      .    100/6     .     100/6 1160/273
19      .      .      .      .    16/0   66/9     82/9  1242/282
20      .      .      .      .      .    53/12    53/12 1295/294
21      .      .      .    22/1   27/11  19/2     68/14 1363/308
22      .      .      .     7/1   22/5    9/4     38/10 1401/318
23      .      .      .    44/7    8/0     .      52/7  1453/325
 0    .....  .....   3/0   19/1    8/2   .....    30/3  1483/328
 1      .      .    27/4     .      .      .      27/4  1510/332
 2      .      .    10/1   19/4    1/0     .      30/5  1540/337
 3      .     4/2   11/5   21/10    .      .      36/17 1576/354
 4     3/3   21/14   1/1    4/0     .      .      29/18 1605/372
 5     2/2    7/5    7/1     .      .      .      16/8  1621/380
 6      .      .      .      .      .      .        .   1621/380
 7      .      .      .      .      .      .        .   1621/380
 8    .....  .....  .....  .....  .....  .....    ..... 1621/380
 9      .      .      .      .      .      .        .   1621/380
10      .      .      .    11/0     .      .      11/0  1632/380
11      .      .      .    12/0  122/0     .     134/0  1766/380
12      .      .      .      .    51/3   86/4    137/7  1903/387
13      .      .      .      .      .   124/4    124/4  2027/391
14      .      .      .      .     1/1  100/0    101/1  2128/392
15      .      .      .      .      .   106/0    106/0  2234/392
16    .....  .....  .....  .....   1/1  112/0    113/1  2347/393
17      .      .      .      .     1/1   69/0     70/1  2417/394
18      .      .      .    10/0   72/2     .      82/2  2499/396
19      .      .      .    87/4     .      .      87/4  2586/400
20      .      .      .    82/3     .      .      82/3  2668/403
21      .      .      .    25/1   14/4    8/0     47/5  2715/408
22      .      .     3/2    5/4    4/3    1/1     13/10 2728/418
23      .     8/4    7/3    7/1     .      .      22/8  2750/426

DAY1  .....  27/20  49/31 288/71 535/95 554/108  .....  1453/325
DAY2   5/5   40/25  69/17 302/28 275/17  606/9     .    1297/101
TOT    5/5   67/45 118/48 590/99 810/112 1160/117  .    2750/426


BREAKDOWN in mins/QSO's per hr

HOUR  160    80     40     20     15     10     HR TOT   CUM TOT

 0   .....  .....  .....  .....  67/76  .....    67/76    67/76
 1     .      .      .    48/55   5/53    .      53/55   120/66
 2     .      .    13/58  41/31   6/21    .      60/36   180/56
 3     .    23/39  25/40    .      .      .      49/40   229/53
 4     .    24/30  29/39    .      .      .      53/35   282/49
 5     .      .      .      .      .      .        .     282/49
 6     .      .      .      .      .      .        .     282/49
 7     .      .      .      .      .      .        .     282/49
 8   .....  .....  .....  .....  .....  .....    .....   282/49
 9     .      .      .     6/68    .      .       6/68   288/50
10     .      .      .    61/14    .      .      61/140  349/66
11     .      .      .     3/21  57/14    .      60/143  408/77
12     .      .      .      .    28/13  31/115   60/127  468/83
13     .      .      .      .      .    61/154   61/154  528/91
14     .      .      .      .     2/77  58/79    60/79   588/90
15     .      .      .      .     4/64  56/53    60/54   648/87
16   .....  .....  .....  .....  14/39  46/85    60/74   708/86
17     .      .      .      .    59/50   1/47    60/50   768/83
18     .      .      .      .    60/99    .      60/99   828/84
19     .      .      .      .    14/69  45/87    59/83   888/84
20     .      .      .      .      .    61/52    61/52   949/82
21     .      .      .    13/10  26/63  21/55    59/69  1008/81
22     .      .      .     8/54  26/50  26/21    60/38  1068/79
23     .      .      .    43/61  17/29    .      60/52  1128/77
 0   .....  .....   6/32  21/55  17/28  .....    44/41  1172/76
 1     .      .    59/27    .      .      .      59/27  1231/74
 2     .      .    26/23  31/37   2/27    .      59/31  1290/72
 3     .     6/38  31/21  22/57    .      .      60/36  1349/70
 4    7/25  24/52   2/39   5/49    .      .      38/46  1387/69
 5    7/17   7/61   5/78    .      .      .      19/49  1406/69
 6     .      .      .      .      .      .        .    1406/69
 7     .      .      .      .      .      .        .    1406/69
 8   .....  .....  .....  .....  .....  .....    .....  1406/69
 9     .      .      .      .      .      .        .    1406/69
10     .      .      .    11/60    .      .      11/60  1418/69
11     .      .      .    12/59  48/15    .      60/134 1478/72
12     .      .      .      .    24/12  36/144   60/137 1537/74
13     .      .      .      .      .    60/123   60/123 1598/76
14     .      .      .      .     0/21  59/101   60/101 1658/77
15     .      .      .      .      .    64/100   64/100 1721/78
16   .....  .....  .....  .....   1/43  55/122   57/120 1778/79
17     .      .      .      .     3/22  59/70    62/68  1840/79
18     .      .      .     7/90  52/83    .      59/84  1898/79
19     .      .      .    60/87    .      .      60/87  1958/79
20     .      .      .    60/82    .      .      60/82  2018/79
21     .      .      .    32/47  25/34   9/53    66/43  2084/78
22     .      .    14/13  15/19   9/26   3/19    42/19  2125/77
23     .    11/44  12/36  13/32    .      .      36/37  2161/76

DAY1 .....  0.8/34 1.1/43 3.7/77 6.4/84 6.8/82  .....   18.8/77
DAY2 0.2/21 0.8/50 2.6/27 4.8/63 3.0/91 5.8/105   .     17.2/75
TOT  0.2/21 1.6/42 3.7/32 8.5/69 9.4/86 12.5/92   .     36.0/76


BREAKDOWN in kilo-points by hr

HOUR  160     80     40     20     15     10    HR TOT   CUM TOT

 0   .....  .....  .....  .....   101   .....     101      101
 1     .      .      .     133      3     .       135      236
 2     .      .      62     67      5     .       134      370
 3     .      63     52     .      .      .       115      484
 4     .      36     45     .      .      .        81      566
 5     .      .      .      .      .      .        .       566
 6     .      .      .      .      .      .        .       566
 7     .      .      .      .      .      .        .       566
 8   .....  .....  .....  .....  .....  .....    .....     566
 9     .      .      .      21     .      .        21      586
10     .      .      .     169     .      .       169      755
11     .      .      .       1    254     .       255     1009
12     .      .      .      .      63    161      224     1233
13     .      .      .      .      .     156      156     1390
14     .      .      .      .       5    130      136     1526
15     .      .      .      .      15     85       99     1625
16   .....  .....  .....  .....    22     58       80     1705
17     .      .      .      .      60      1       61     1766
18     .      .      .      .      88     .        88     1853
19     .      .      .      .      10     76       86     1939
20     .      .      .      .      .      83       83     2022
21     .      .      .      18     61     20      100     2122
22     .      .      .       9     35     22       65     2187
23     .      .      .      57      5     .        62     2249
 0   .....  .....     2     16     13   .....      31     2281
 1     .      .      33     .      .      .        33     2314
 2     .      .      10     27      1     .        38     2352
 3     .      11     28     54     .      .        93     2445
 4     14     71      5      3     .      .        92     2537
 5      9     25      9     .      .      .        43     2580
 6     .      .      .      .      .      .        .      2580
 7     .      .      .      .      .      .        .      2580
 8   .....  .....  .....  .....  .....  .....    .....    2580
 9     .      .      .      .      .      .        .      2580
10     .      .      .       7     .      .         7     2587
11     .      .      .       8     78     .        86     2672
12     .      .      .      .      45     71      116     2789
13     .      .      .      .      .      96       96     2884
14     .      .      .      .       5     64       69     2953
15     .      .      .      .      .      68       68     3021
16   .....  .....  .....  .....     5     72       76     3097
17     .      .      .      .       5     44       49     3146
18     .      .      .       6     54     .        61     3206
19     .      .      .      72     .      .        72     3278
20     .      .      .      64     .      .        64     3342
21     .      .      .      20     25      5       51     3393
22     .      .      10     20     15      5       49     3442
23     .      21     17      9     .      .        47     3489

DAY1 .....    99    158    473    726    793     .....    2249
DAY2   24    128    113    306    245    424       .      1240
TOT    24    227    271    779    971   1217       .      3489

Editors Note: When the final results were published, KM1P came 6th in the 'W/VE Single Operator Assisted, Phone' category, and 2nd for the No.1 call district, with a final score of :
3,434,400 - 2700 - 424

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