2003 ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW)
11/04/2003 |
N8CPA
I am certainly not a real competitor, but I love participating in CW SS with a quasi-religious zeal! I only run low power in my vertical and VEE. I don't make a lot of contacts, but I always have a blast.
I made my first incursion into the fray in '95. I entered because I wanted to improve my CW speed for FD operation. I haven't been able to stay away since. In my world, nothing else happens that first weekend of November.
I make no secret of my dedication to the sport. The whole family knows that on the first weekend of November, there are no weddings, there are no birthdays. Though I am otherwise a very generous fellow, that particular weekend is all mine! I would even choose it over Field Day now if I had to make a choice between the two.
Every year I say the same thing: "This year, the broom goes up the tower!" "This year, I earn my mug!" "VY1JA, be ready for me!" Oh, the mantras I chant, the bold promises I make! And every year, though I make more points than the year previous, I have yet to make the ever elusive sweep. I have worked all sections, except one, but never all on the same weekend. The closest I've come is 78/80 last year. Always absent is NT.
In past years, with my weak, low power station, I've relied almost exclusively on hunting and pouncing to find my contacts. But this year, I wanted to try running a little more to increase my chances of making the sweep. I also planned to claim a frequency 30 seconds before start by sending a test transmission with the phrase "What hath God wrought!" just before I start the CQ SS beacon.
I even Elmered my nephew to share my enthusiasm for the event. He and I even have a pre-contest ritual that stems from his Technician days when I control-opped his participation. A few minutes before start time, he and I toast the event with CW (i.e, Contest Water), a mixture of scotch, or bourbon, and water. Now that he and I operate independently, we drink from our own stock in our repsective stations. I call him on the phone or on 2M simplex, we make the toast and drink our drinks. And then we wait for 2100Z. The mutual toast is almost mandatory.
To say the least, things went a bit awry this year. I had not talked to my nephew all of last week. I spent Saturday in SS preparation mode: programming the keyer, testing the computer and software, making on air tests, ergonomizing--if there is such a word--desk space, etc. At 20:40Z, I called my nephew. My Contest Water was in my Clean Sweep mug...
The mug had been sent to me in error when I ordered particpation pins a few years ago. When I tried to return it, the League told me to keep it. Now it is used specifically as the vessel from which I sip my Contest Water before SS. It is my chalice of the Brass Sacrament.
...His wife answered. "He can't talk now. We're on our way to a big wedding and we're running late. I'll have him call you tonight." So I sipped my CW alone.
For the moment, pretend I'm merely superstitious. After making the toast, and sipping my CW alone, at 20:59:40Z, I sent my test and started calling CQ. At 21:00:07, I listened for my first Q. At 21:11, I started hunting and pouncing and made QSO #1. The next time I tried calling CQ, Sunday afternoon, the sun answered with a flare!
As I tally this year's CW SS: I made a higher score. I made more Qs. But I missed
5 Sections! The broom is still in the cleaning closet, rather than on my tower. My Clean Sweep mug still only represents an order processing error. At this rate, by the time I get the sweep, it will be a Swiffer that goes up the tower.
And it's not all my nephew's fault--most of it but not all. He shares the blame with VY1JA, KE0A, K2NNY, VE2EF, KL7J and whoever that couple was who wouldn't elope! My poor showing is all their fault, I'm sure!
I will certainly try again next year. How else will I find out if the Clean Sweep is for me as the Great Pumpkin is for Linus? It might turn out that I need a more sincere antenna farm.
But I'll be there. My thanks to all who were there this year.
73 Steve -- N8CPA
I made my first incursion into the fray in '95. I entered because I wanted to improve my CW speed for FD operation. I haven't been able to stay away since. In my world, nothing else happens that first weekend of November.
I make no secret of my dedication to the sport. The whole family knows that on the first weekend of November, there are no weddings, there are no birthdays. Though I am otherwise a very generous fellow, that particular weekend is all mine! I would even choose it over Field Day now if I had to make a choice between the two.
Every year I say the same thing: "This year, the broom goes up the tower!" "This year, I earn my mug!" "VY1JA, be ready for me!" Oh, the mantras I chant, the bold promises I make! And every year, though I make more points than the year previous, I have yet to make the ever elusive sweep. I have worked all sections, except one, but never all on the same weekend. The closest I've come is 78/80 last year. Always absent is NT.
In past years, with my weak, low power station, I've relied almost exclusively on hunting and pouncing to find my contacts. But this year, I wanted to try running a little more to increase my chances of making the sweep. I also planned to claim a frequency 30 seconds before start by sending a test transmission with the phrase "What hath God wrought!" just before I start the CQ SS beacon.
I even Elmered my nephew to share my enthusiasm for the event. He and I even have a pre-contest ritual that stems from his Technician days when I control-opped his participation. A few minutes before start time, he and I toast the event with CW (i.e, Contest Water), a mixture of scotch, or bourbon, and water. Now that he and I operate independently, we drink from our own stock in our repsective stations. I call him on the phone or on 2M simplex, we make the toast and drink our drinks. And then we wait for 2100Z. The mutual toast is almost mandatory.
To say the least, things went a bit awry this year. I had not talked to my nephew all of last week. I spent Saturday in SS preparation mode: programming the keyer, testing the computer and software, making on air tests, ergonomizing--if there is such a word--desk space, etc. At 20:40Z, I called my nephew. My Contest Water was in my Clean Sweep mug...
The mug had been sent to me in error when I ordered particpation pins a few years ago. When I tried to return it, the League told me to keep it. Now it is used specifically as the vessel from which I sip my Contest Water before SS. It is my chalice of the Brass Sacrament.
...His wife answered. "He can't talk now. We're on our way to a big wedding and we're running late. I'll have him call you tonight." So I sipped my CW alone.
For the moment, pretend I'm merely superstitious. After making the toast, and sipping my CW alone, at 20:59:40Z, I sent my test and started calling CQ. At 21:00:07, I listened for my first Q. At 21:11, I started hunting and pouncing and made QSO #1. The next time I tried calling CQ, Sunday afternoon, the sun answered with a flare!
As I tally this year's CW SS: I made a higher score. I made more Qs. But I missed
5 Sections! The broom is still in the cleaning closet, rather than on my tower. My Clean Sweep mug still only represents an order processing error. At this rate, by the time I get the sweep, it will be a Swiffer that goes up the tower.
And it's not all my nephew's fault--most of it but not all. He shares the blame with VY1JA, KE0A, K2NNY, VE2EF, KL7J and whoever that couple was who wouldn't elope! My poor showing is all their fault, I'm sure!
I will certainly try again next year. How else will I find out if the Clean Sweep is for me as the Great Pumpkin is for Linus? It might turn out that I need a more sincere antenna farm.
But I'll be there. My thanks to all who were there this year.
73 Steve -- N8CPA
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