The CW Sweepstakes is like Ham Radio Christmas for me.  I look forward to the event every year.  The past two years I have missed the coveted Clean Sweep after several years in a row of consistently obtaining the sweep.  I wanted to start a new streak!

As is my and my elmer's, N8CPA, tradition, we have Contest Chili on Sweepstakes Eve.  Where we do a toast to the upcoming contest with some "contest water" (Crown Royal and Water).  Both of us planned to operate Unlimited this year, so we set up a simplex frequency to share spots.  We were set.

Once the contest started, I started looking for multipliers like I always do and by about 8 hours in, I had only 10 left.  So I started calling CQ and sure enough, some of the additional ones found their way into my log.

I was only missing WPA and PAC by Sunday afternoon, and I was getting nervous.  Then WPA appeared and now I was only left with PAC.  I knew that Hawaii should be on in late afternoon on 15M and as I suspected, a PAC station was there.  Once I worked them, I had my sweep!!!

To celebrate, I made some more Contest Water in my 2008 Mug (when I got my first clean sweep) and grabbed my clean sweep broom I got the same year.

So the rest of the contest I started running and only got to 396 contacts this year.  I was hoping to crack 500, but alas, my goal of getting the Sweep was the priority.

I so enjoy the CW Sweeps!!