2008 ARRL November Sweepstakes (Phone)
11/25/2008 |
WB0TEV
A SWEEP, A WHOLE SWEEP, AND NOTHING BUT A SWEEP?
This year I didnt really plan to operate SS phone much, but when I turned the radio on an hour into the contest I decided to see if I could make just 80 QSOs, one from each Multipler/Section, a sort of Minimalist Sweep if you will. Since Im a DXer at heart the thrill of getting a NEW ONE exceeds the draw of running up a big score. I also knew that I couldnt spend all weekend in front of the radio.
Could it be done? How many hours of operating would it take? The hunt beckoned. I fired up my old Dentron MLA2500 amp, got the packet cluster spots scrolling across the computer screen, spun the dial of my trusty 20 year old FT-767 on 15m and swung the Mosley PRO-67B to the west from my Northeast Texas QTH. There would no CQing for me, just a methodical stalking of multipliers.
First one down at 2204Z was NN7SS from WWA followed by a couple of the California sections. 10 minutes into the hunt KH7X from Hawaii let me scratch the Pacific off the hit list, followed by AH6FC in Oregon.
After 5 QSOs on 15m I slipped down to 20m. W3PP let me get the DE section out of the way early. Tipped off by packet spots, AB, NV, AK, SK, ID MT and UT were in the log in short order as I worked on trying to pick off stuff to the northwest. At 2250 VY1EI copied ur # 17 Uniform, from WB0TEV, check 7-6 North Texas and one the historically more sought after multipliers was in the bag.
After one hour of operating, N7IV in North Dakota was #20 at 2304Z.
I swung the beam around to the northeast and made the first foray onto 40m working W1XX in Rhode Island at 2333. I figured Id next try to work some of the east coast on 40m the before band opened up for the west coast as to have less competition from the California kilowatts for a spell. While on 40m I worked VY2TT in the Canadian Maritimes and KP2TM in the Virgin Islands.
I took a brief excursion down to 80m at 2344 to work my old college classmate Jim, WT9U in Indiana along with WB1GQR in Vermont before bouncing back to 40m again.
For the next 45 minutes I played hopscotch between 20m and 40m chasing down packet spots of those still on the hit list. After 2 hours of operating time half of the 80 sections were in the log.
Looking at my multiplier check off list I saw that there were still 3 California sections I needed and I wanted to get them out of the way so I could just forget about that state. It was just after 0000Z so I still had 20m propagation to the west coast, whereas the east coast would start to loose it soon if they hadnt already. That would reduce the QRM on the band for me, so once again the beam went west and I QSYed to 20m and scanned the spots coming across the computer screen. In the space of 15 minutes, W6TA (LAX), K6UW (SDG), and N6HC (ORG) let me close the book on the 6th call district .
It would turn out that the 0026Z QSO with N6HC would also be the last 20m QSO Id make in the whole contest. While I had the beam out west I saw a packet spot for K7PU in EWA and so QSYed to 40m to knock out the last section I was still missing out west.
At 0040Z I dropped down to 80m to try and get some of the many midwest, south and east coast multipliers I still lacked. K0GND took care of Nebraska, N1LI provided Maine. Illinois, VE3 and Tennessee were also worked on 80m and shortly before 0100 I took a break and went to get a pizza. About 45 minutes later, refueled by pepparoni, cheese and tomato sauce, I was back in the saddle for the nocturnal stalking of multipliers on 80m, with the occasional 40m diversion.
By 0300Z I was up to 63 multipliers and the possibility of making a sweep was looking more promising. Id managed to fill in some of the holes in the midwest and east coast and it was time to pause for a bit to assess the situation.
Of the rarer ones, I was still lacking Newfoundland, Quebec and Manitoba. Id seen VE4EAR spotted earlier, but so far never on a band where I had propagation. Like most by now, I was dumbfounded at the lack of KP4. Usually there is at least one big gun station on from Puerto Rico and several others on the island, but I hadnt heard a single one and searches of the packet cluster came up empty as well. One of the enduring mysteries of the 2008 SS Phone contest will be: What happened to all the KP4s?!! One theory is that they all moved to Maryland. I swear, sometimes it seemed like ever other guy on the band was signing from MDC!
Some of the other sections I lacked were also startling. Here I was in the northeastern part of the Lone Star State and I hadnt worked any one of the 3 Texas sections. I also still needed the neighboring states of Arkansas and Louisiana. Ohio (OHIO??!!), Michigan and SFL were also conspicuous by their absence.
Wisconsin and my home state of Iowa (hence my zercall) were still on the wanted list and the reticence of Mississippi to grace the bands was proving to be a harbinger of anxiety to come.
But the time for introspection was over, and it was time to get back to the methodical process of hunting down the 17 stray multipliers that still remained at large.
I was hoping to be able to cross off CT with a QSO with W1AW, and as luck would have it I was able to work them on 80m at 0305Z.
With the exception of 3 brief moves to 40m, over the next 3 hours I stayed on 80m slowly whittling away at the number of missing multipliers.
Over the next hour packet spots led me to QSOs with WNY, IA, OH & MI. VE2DWA provided Quebec on 80m at 0358. Louisiana powerhouse W5WMU finally moved down to 80m so that I could work him and at 0442 I scratched that one off of what had by then become the 7 most wanted list.
A half an hour went by with nothing new, and the earlier optimism (or was it, to quote Alan Greenspan, irrational exuberance) began to fade. The first thoughts of packing it in and going to bed crossed my mind when, suddenly a spot for VE4EAR appeared! I swung the Mosley PRO-67B due north and retuned the amp to 40m I soon was able to check off Manitoba. When I worked Ed I told him that I had been looking for him specifically and let him know how glad I was to work him.
It was 0515Z and there were still 5 left to go: Newfoundland, Puerto Rico, Mississippi, West Texas and my own section of North Texas.
0520Z: K5TDA provided West Texas
0549Z: I finally worked somebody in my own section of North Texas, W5WW on 40m.
Its now 0600Z, midnight local time. I still need KP4, VO1 and Mississippi. KL5Z in MS has been spotted at the very top end of 40m. I turn the beam east and listen through the cacophony that is 40m. I can hear other stations working him, but 40m is too long and the signals from the Magnolia state are flying scores of miles over my QTH. Ionospherically speaking, I am in what could derisively be termed fly over country.
Well, maybe I can get those 3 sometime tomorrow I mused. Assuming anyone from KP4 ever gets on. Ive heard the buzz from other stations wondering were all the Puerto Ricans were.
In the morning Id go to church, such are my priorities. Id resume the hunt Sunday afternoon. 77 out of 80 isnt bad. I get ready to shut down the amp and turn off the rig. But first I take on last longing glance at the packet spots coming across the computer screen.
NE9U 7182.6 VO1MP nl 0605 16 Nov
NEWFOUNDLAND! Will I be able to hear him? If so, will he hear me? Man I came so close to packing it in and missing the VO1! One hand hits the rotator to swing the beam to the Northeast (sure am glad Ive got beam that covers 40m) while the other spins the dial. There he is, and real Q5 copy to boot!
At 0608 VO1MP is in the WB0TEV log as the 78th QSO and multiplier.
Only Puerto Rico and Mississippi remain. I keep looking, scanning 40m and 80m and watching the spots. KL5Z in Mississippi is apparently still there, but Im stuck in his skip zone. After more than a half hour, I conclude that its futile and at 0642Z I pulled the plug and went to bed.
The quest for the sweep, for me at any rate, would in the end come down to Sunday afternoon. As my head hit the pillow and I drifted into the arms of Morpheus, the sounds of off tuned SSB clamor still ringing in my ears, I kept thinking.... Mississippi and Puerto Rico, Mississippi and Puerto Rico, MS & KP4.. zzzzzzzzz.
Sunday AM I went to church with the XYL and harmonics. Went out to eat for lunch and came back home.
At 2000Z Sunday Im back in the hunt for the last 2. Checking the cluster spots I find that I KP4SQ and KP3S are on 15m. KP4SQ is at ESP level but I can make out snippets of the signal from KP3S. Hes not strong enough to really work, so I bid my time and listen hoping that propagation will improve or the QSB will let me catch him at a momentary peak. After almost 30 minutes his signal has risen enough for me to take a crack at him. After a couple of calls we work and Puerto Rico is at last safely in the log.
Only Mississippi remains, and I dont see anything on the cluster. I figure the only band that will have propagation from NTX to MS in mid afternoon will be 40m so I starting trolling the band listening to see if a Mississippi station can be detected.
Nada. But its 2030Z and there is still time. But all the time in the world wont matter if there isnt a MS station to be had.
In desperation I decide to go to the very top of the band where KL5Z had been operating the night before and call CQ MISSISSIPPI. Another station replies and asks if Im in the contest to which I answer in the affirmative. He then gives me a serendipitous lead. This voice from the aether tells me to look for KK5K. A quick lookup on QRZ.com shows that this call belongs to the Tupelo Amateur Radio Club in Tupelo, Mississippi.
A search on the packet spots shows that KK5K is on the air.... on 15m. ARRGH! I tune up there but I know its hopeless. Alas, the signals from MS are going right over my head. Once again Im stuck in the skip zone.
I (and I know many others) are hoping, praying that hell move to 40m, or that someone in the Magnolia state will show up on 40m. I point the beam east, tune up the amp on 40 and tune up and down the band and gaze longingly at the packet spots crawling up the screen, when suddenly......
K0JPL 7129.2 KK5K MS MS MS 2129 16 Nov
THERE HE IS! Almost at the very bottom of the 40m phone band. So glad Ive got that Extra Class ticket.
The KK5K spot to show up on the cluster read as follows:
WB0TEV 7129.2 KK5K MS! A sweep in 80 QSOs! 2131 16 Nov
I MADE IT! For the next several minutes I just sat and listened as others joined the pileup, many of them announcing that with the KK5K QSO theyd completed their sweeps as well.
One of the odd things I noticed about MS stations on 40m was that one (KL5Z) had appeared almost at the very top of the 40m phone band (7299 kHz) while KK5K ended up almost at the very bottom.
Once I had a sweep completed I thought about making more QSOs, but Id achieved my goal in just 10 hours of operating time and for this year, for me, that was enough. Next year will likely be another story!
It sure was a blast making a sweep on the 75th anniversary of the Sweepstakes contest. If memory serves me correctly, I made a sweep in the 50th Sweepstakes as well when I piloted WD5GSL, the club station of what was then the E-Systems Radio Club, to 3rd place in the high power category in North Texas back in 1983. I remember getting a whisk broom way back then as well, though where it is now is a mystery.
As one last aside, one statistic Id like to see is a listing of stations that made a sweep in the chronological order of when the sweep was achieved. At what time did the first station make it to the magic 80 mark? (Im sure it wasnt me!) What section was their last one? On what band did it occur? I think it would be neat if there was a separate award for the station that was first to the multiplier finish line. What say Sean?
Bring on some sunspots and will CU in SS 2009!
73,
Victor WB0TEV -- WB0TEV
This year I didnt really plan to operate SS phone much, but when I turned the radio on an hour into the contest I decided to see if I could make just 80 QSOs, one from each Multipler/Section, a sort of Minimalist Sweep if you will. Since Im a DXer at heart the thrill of getting a NEW ONE exceeds the draw of running up a big score. I also knew that I couldnt spend all weekend in front of the radio.
Could it be done? How many hours of operating would it take? The hunt beckoned. I fired up my old Dentron MLA2500 amp, got the packet cluster spots scrolling across the computer screen, spun the dial of my trusty 20 year old FT-767 on 15m and swung the Mosley PRO-67B to the west from my Northeast Texas QTH. There would no CQing for me, just a methodical stalking of multipliers.
First one down at 2204Z was NN7SS from WWA followed by a couple of the California sections. 10 minutes into the hunt KH7X from Hawaii let me scratch the Pacific off the hit list, followed by AH6FC in Oregon.
After 5 QSOs on 15m I slipped down to 20m. W3PP let me get the DE section out of the way early. Tipped off by packet spots, AB, NV, AK, SK, ID MT and UT were in the log in short order as I worked on trying to pick off stuff to the northwest. At 2250 VY1EI copied ur # 17 Uniform, from WB0TEV, check 7-6 North Texas and one the historically more sought after multipliers was in the bag.
After one hour of operating, N7IV in North Dakota was #20 at 2304Z.
I swung the beam around to the northeast and made the first foray onto 40m working W1XX in Rhode Island at 2333. I figured Id next try to work some of the east coast on 40m the before band opened up for the west coast as to have less competition from the California kilowatts for a spell. While on 40m I worked VY2TT in the Canadian Maritimes and KP2TM in the Virgin Islands.
I took a brief excursion down to 80m at 2344 to work my old college classmate Jim, WT9U in Indiana along with WB1GQR in Vermont before bouncing back to 40m again.
For the next 45 minutes I played hopscotch between 20m and 40m chasing down packet spots of those still on the hit list. After 2 hours of operating time half of the 80 sections were in the log.
Looking at my multiplier check off list I saw that there were still 3 California sections I needed and I wanted to get them out of the way so I could just forget about that state. It was just after 0000Z so I still had 20m propagation to the west coast, whereas the east coast would start to loose it soon if they hadnt already. That would reduce the QRM on the band for me, so once again the beam went west and I QSYed to 20m and scanned the spots coming across the computer screen. In the space of 15 minutes, W6TA (LAX), K6UW (SDG), and N6HC (ORG) let me close the book on the 6th call district .
It would turn out that the 0026Z QSO with N6HC would also be the last 20m QSO Id make in the whole contest. While I had the beam out west I saw a packet spot for K7PU in EWA and so QSYed to 40m to knock out the last section I was still missing out west.
At 0040Z I dropped down to 80m to try and get some of the many midwest, south and east coast multipliers I still lacked. K0GND took care of Nebraska, N1LI provided Maine. Illinois, VE3 and Tennessee were also worked on 80m and shortly before 0100 I took a break and went to get a pizza. About 45 minutes later, refueled by pepparoni, cheese and tomato sauce, I was back in the saddle for the nocturnal stalking of multipliers on 80m, with the occasional 40m diversion.
By 0300Z I was up to 63 multipliers and the possibility of making a sweep was looking more promising. Id managed to fill in some of the holes in the midwest and east coast and it was time to pause for a bit to assess the situation.
Of the rarer ones, I was still lacking Newfoundland, Quebec and Manitoba. Id seen VE4EAR spotted earlier, but so far never on a band where I had propagation. Like most by now, I was dumbfounded at the lack of KP4. Usually there is at least one big gun station on from Puerto Rico and several others on the island, but I hadnt heard a single one and searches of the packet cluster came up empty as well. One of the enduring mysteries of the 2008 SS Phone contest will be: What happened to all the KP4s?!! One theory is that they all moved to Maryland. I swear, sometimes it seemed like ever other guy on the band was signing from MDC!
Some of the other sections I lacked were also startling. Here I was in the northeastern part of the Lone Star State and I hadnt worked any one of the 3 Texas sections. I also still needed the neighboring states of Arkansas and Louisiana. Ohio (OHIO??!!), Michigan and SFL were also conspicuous by their absence.
Wisconsin and my home state of Iowa (hence my zercall) were still on the wanted list and the reticence of Mississippi to grace the bands was proving to be a harbinger of anxiety to come.
But the time for introspection was over, and it was time to get back to the methodical process of hunting down the 17 stray multipliers that still remained at large.
I was hoping to be able to cross off CT with a QSO with W1AW, and as luck would have it I was able to work them on 80m at 0305Z.
With the exception of 3 brief moves to 40m, over the next 3 hours I stayed on 80m slowly whittling away at the number of missing multipliers.
Over the next hour packet spots led me to QSOs with WNY, IA, OH & MI. VE2DWA provided Quebec on 80m at 0358. Louisiana powerhouse W5WMU finally moved down to 80m so that I could work him and at 0442 I scratched that one off of what had by then become the 7 most wanted list.
A half an hour went by with nothing new, and the earlier optimism (or was it, to quote Alan Greenspan, irrational exuberance) began to fade. The first thoughts of packing it in and going to bed crossed my mind when, suddenly a spot for VE4EAR appeared! I swung the Mosley PRO-67B due north and retuned the amp to 40m I soon was able to check off Manitoba. When I worked Ed I told him that I had been looking for him specifically and let him know how glad I was to work him.
It was 0515Z and there were still 5 left to go: Newfoundland, Puerto Rico, Mississippi, West Texas and my own section of North Texas.
0520Z: K5TDA provided West Texas
0549Z: I finally worked somebody in my own section of North Texas, W5WW on 40m.
Its now 0600Z, midnight local time. I still need KP4, VO1 and Mississippi. KL5Z in MS has been spotted at the very top end of 40m. I turn the beam east and listen through the cacophony that is 40m. I can hear other stations working him, but 40m is too long and the signals from the Magnolia state are flying scores of miles over my QTH. Ionospherically speaking, I am in what could derisively be termed fly over country.
Well, maybe I can get those 3 sometime tomorrow I mused. Assuming anyone from KP4 ever gets on. Ive heard the buzz from other stations wondering were all the Puerto Ricans were.
In the morning Id go to church, such are my priorities. Id resume the hunt Sunday afternoon. 77 out of 80 isnt bad. I get ready to shut down the amp and turn off the rig. But first I take on last longing glance at the packet spots coming across the computer screen.
NE9U 7182.6 VO1MP nl 0605 16 Nov
NEWFOUNDLAND! Will I be able to hear him? If so, will he hear me? Man I came so close to packing it in and missing the VO1! One hand hits the rotator to swing the beam to the Northeast (sure am glad Ive got beam that covers 40m) while the other spins the dial. There he is, and real Q5 copy to boot!
At 0608 VO1MP is in the WB0TEV log as the 78th QSO and multiplier.
Only Puerto Rico and Mississippi remain. I keep looking, scanning 40m and 80m and watching the spots. KL5Z in Mississippi is apparently still there, but Im stuck in his skip zone. After more than a half hour, I conclude that its futile and at 0642Z I pulled the plug and went to bed.
The quest for the sweep, for me at any rate, would in the end come down to Sunday afternoon. As my head hit the pillow and I drifted into the arms of Morpheus, the sounds of off tuned SSB clamor still ringing in my ears, I kept thinking.... Mississippi and Puerto Rico, Mississippi and Puerto Rico, MS & KP4.. zzzzzzzzz.
Sunday AM I went to church with the XYL and harmonics. Went out to eat for lunch and came back home.
At 2000Z Sunday Im back in the hunt for the last 2. Checking the cluster spots I find that I KP4SQ and KP3S are on 15m. KP4SQ is at ESP level but I can make out snippets of the signal from KP3S. Hes not strong enough to really work, so I bid my time and listen hoping that propagation will improve or the QSB will let me catch him at a momentary peak. After almost 30 minutes his signal has risen enough for me to take a crack at him. After a couple of calls we work and Puerto Rico is at last safely in the log.
Only Mississippi remains, and I dont see anything on the cluster. I figure the only band that will have propagation from NTX to MS in mid afternoon will be 40m so I starting trolling the band listening to see if a Mississippi station can be detected.
Nada. But its 2030Z and there is still time. But all the time in the world wont matter if there isnt a MS station to be had.
In desperation I decide to go to the very top of the band where KL5Z had been operating the night before and call CQ MISSISSIPPI. Another station replies and asks if Im in the contest to which I answer in the affirmative. He then gives me a serendipitous lead. This voice from the aether tells me to look for KK5K. A quick lookup on QRZ.com shows that this call belongs to the Tupelo Amateur Radio Club in Tupelo, Mississippi.
A search on the packet spots shows that KK5K is on the air.... on 15m. ARRGH! I tune up there but I know its hopeless. Alas, the signals from MS are going right over my head. Once again Im stuck in the skip zone.
I (and I know many others) are hoping, praying that hell move to 40m, or that someone in the Magnolia state will show up on 40m. I point the beam east, tune up the amp on 40 and tune up and down the band and gaze longingly at the packet spots crawling up the screen, when suddenly......
K0JPL 7129.2 KK5K MS MS MS 2129 16 Nov
THERE HE IS! Almost at the very bottom of the 40m phone band. So glad Ive got that Extra Class ticket.
The KK5K spot to show up on the cluster read as follows:
WB0TEV 7129.2 KK5K MS! A sweep in 80 QSOs! 2131 16 Nov
I MADE IT! For the next several minutes I just sat and listened as others joined the pileup, many of them announcing that with the KK5K QSO theyd completed their sweeps as well.
One of the odd things I noticed about MS stations on 40m was that one (KL5Z) had appeared almost at the very top of the 40m phone band (7299 kHz) while KK5K ended up almost at the very bottom.
Once I had a sweep completed I thought about making more QSOs, but Id achieved my goal in just 10 hours of operating time and for this year, for me, that was enough. Next year will likely be another story!
It sure was a blast making a sweep on the 75th anniversary of the Sweepstakes contest. If memory serves me correctly, I made a sweep in the 50th Sweepstakes as well when I piloted WD5GSL, the club station of what was then the E-Systems Radio Club, to 3rd place in the high power category in North Texas back in 1983. I remember getting a whisk broom way back then as well, though where it is now is a mystery.
As one last aside, one statistic Id like to see is a listing of stations that made a sweep in the chronological order of when the sweep was achieved. At what time did the first station make it to the magic 80 mark? (Im sure it wasnt me!) What section was their last one? On what band did it occur? I think it would be neat if there was a separate award for the station that was first to the multiplier finish line. What say Sean?
Bring on some sunspots and will CU in SS 2009!
73,
Victor WB0TEV -- WB0TEV
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