Another Sweepstakes, another catalogue of excuses.

--Friday night insomnia.

--IC-735 in shop, waiting for parts.

--TS-50, okay for sideband, but it had never been used in CW contest. It took several  hours to find the optimal settings on an outboard audio filter.

--Needed antenna work did not get done, RX antenna only half working.

--TVI from 80M too severe to make regular use of a highly productive band, because of previous point.

--Had to sleep Saturday night, no choice. In bed at midnight [Time change.]

--Early Sunday morning [0900Z], first contact was AK, second was PAC, but could not work NL.

--Though NT was stronger than I have ever heard it, the path was not reciprocally kind.  Too much time parked trying to answer.

--Another half hour of sleep 1500-1530.

--Too much time calling CQ when H&P much more productive.

-- 242 Q’s, 77 Sections. PR never heard, NT and NL heard but NIL.

16 years and still no Sweep, but I had a blast with my favorite mode in my favorite contest.  CU next year.

 Steve