ARRL SS SSB 2019

The last time I worked a full 24 hours in this contest Eisenhower was president. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it felt like it. It was actually six years ago in 2013.

I had forgotten how mentally fatiguing the unrelenting hurricane of QRM becomes in my sleep deprived state. In addition, there was an ever present stress lurking around every corner by potential interlopers calling “CQ contest” on my frequency when weaker stations fumbling with their exchange created dead air pockets. If I wasn’t transmitting after 15 seconds, the risk skyrocketed.

Don’t even get me started on QSB.

20m was absolutely insane. Here’s a screen shot of my panadapter:

20m SSB

80m SSB

80m was also wall-to-wall from 3.6 to over 3.8. Don’t know if it’s always like that, but it was sure impressive.

Didn’t get the best start. QRM really slowed me down. Perhaps the biggest mistake was not following the tried-and-true west coast plan of taking six hours off in one big chunk. Thought I could catch the east coast sunrise on 40m and increase my rate. Several hours in I regretted that decision.

From 11:00z to 13:00z (normal off time) yielded 88 Qs. From 21:00z to 23:00z I worked 151 Qs with the rate picking up as the evening went on. Don’t fix what ain’t broke.

One other issue I considered is antennas pointed south. I usually point east and fire away. Areas 5, 6 and 7 typically yields the fewest stations out of all the other call areas. That seems backwards to me.

In an effort to try and increase volume in these call areas, I tried something different this year. Rather than pointing east, I pointed southeast around 115 degrees and left it there. This was not a wise move. Historically speaking, it resulted in the lowest numbers I’ve seen on SSB. Once again, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

To avoid dupes and possible penalties for the other station, I took extra time to read their exchange to confirm we already worked. 100% of the time they logged my call incorrectly so it was worth it. Only one guy complained when I told him we can only work once in the contest. He got upset, so I asked if he need me on this band for some award. He said yes, so I worked him again. Maybe lead with that next time?

242 checks from 2009 to 2019. Much better than the previous period from 1998 to 2008 with 110.

Congrats to KH7XS, VY2TT and W7RN on the Unlimited side. Congrats to W7WA and K5TR on the Bravo side, and K2PO on the Alpha side.

Thanks to all for the Qs. 73, Mitch

Post contest numbers to chew on:

Cabrillo Statistics           (Version 10g)           by K5KA & N6TV
 http://bit.ly/cabstat
 CALLSIGN: K7RL
 CONTEST: ARRL-SS-SSB
 CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
 CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE
 OPERATORS: K7RL
 -------------- Q S O   R a t e   S u m m a r y ---------------------
 Hour     160     80     40     20     15     10    Rate Total    Pct
 2100       0      0      0    130      0      0    130    130    8.5
 2200       0      0      7     98      0      0    105    235   15.4
 2300       0      0     65     32      0      0     97    332   21.8
 0000       0      3     78      2      0      0     83    415   27.2
 0100       0     16     61      0      0      0     77    492   32.3
 0200       0     15     91      0      0      0    106    598   39.2
 0300       0     39     34      0      0      0     73    671   44.0
 0400       0     50      7      0      0      0     57    728   47.7
 0500       0     56     13      0      0      0     69    797   52.3
 0600       0     20     18      0      0      0     38    835   54.8
 0700       0     28     30      0      0      0     58    893   58.6
 0800       0      5      3      0      0      0      8    901   59.1
 0900       0      0      0      0      0      0      0    901   59.1
 1000       0      0      0      0      0      0      0    901   59.1
 1100       0     12     23      0      0      0     35    936   61.4
 1200       0      8     30      0      0      0     38    974   63.9
 1300       0      7      8      0      0      0     15    989   64.9
 1400       0      0     49      2      0      0     51   1040   68.2
 1500       0      0     10     38      0      0     48   1088   71.3
 1600       0      0      0     41      0      0     41   1129   74.0
 1700       0      0      0     54      0      0     54   1183   77.6
 1800       0      0      0     44      9      0     53   1236   81.0
 1900       0      0      0     45      3      0     48   1284   84.2
 2000       0      0      0     60      0      0     60   1344   88.1
 2100       0      0      0     64      0      0     64   1408   92.3
 2200       0      0      5     34      0      0     39   1447   94.9
 2300       0      0     47      1      0      0     48   1495   98.0
 0000       0      1     29      0      0      0     30   1525  100.0
 0100       0      0      0      0      0      0      0   1525  100.0
 0200       0      0      0      0      0      0      0   1525  100.0
 Total      0    260    608    645     12      0   1525
 Gross QSOs=1526        Dupes=1        Net QSOs=1525
 Unique callsigns worked = 1525
 The best 60 minute rate was 134/hour from 2108 to 2207
 The best 30 minute rate was 140/hour from 2101 to 2130
 The best 10 minute rate was 156/hour from 2111 to 2120
 The best 1 minute rates were:
  4 QSOs/minute    2 times.
  3 QSOs/minute   81 times.
  2 QSOs/minute  320 times.
  1 QSOs/minute  634 times.
 There were 201 bandchanges and 90 (5.9%) probable 2nd radio QSOs.
 Number of letters in callsigns
 Letters  # worked
 4       643
    5       598
    6       279
    7         2
    8         2
   10         1
 ------------ M u l t i p l i e r   S u m m a r y ------------
 Mult     160     80     40     20     15     10  Total    Pct
 IL         0      3     24     60      0      0     87    5.7
 MDC        0     12     28     36      2      0     78    5.1
 VA         0      9     20     42      0      0     71    4.7
 OH         0      8     34     26      0      0     68    4.5
 WI         0      5     14     32      0      0     51    3.3
 MI         0      9     17     23      0      0     49    3.2
 MN         0     12     14     22      0      0     48    3.1
 EPA        0      5     11     30      0      0     46    3.0
 NC         0      6     16     21      0      0     43    2.8
 MO         0      3     14     17      0      0     34    2.2
 CO         0      2     26      6      0      0     34    2.2
 ENY        0      6     10     16      0      0     32    2.1
 NTX        0      6     15     10      0      0     31    2.0
 IN         0      7     11     11      0      0     29    1.9
 SV         0     16     13      0      0      0     29    1.9
 TN         0      0     15     10      3      0     28    1.8
 NH         0      8      5     14      0      0     27    1.8
 WNY        0      3      8     16      0      0     27    1.8
 GA         0      3     13      8      1      0     25    1.6
 CT         0      4      5     16      0      0     25    1.6
 NFL        0      3     17      3      0      0     23    1.5
 IA         0      1      9     12      0      0     22    1.4
 AZ         0      3     11      8      0      0     22    1.4
 WWA        0     12      6      3      1      0     22    1.4
 NNJ        0      3      7     10      1      0     21    1.4
 ME         0      1      2     16      1      0     20    1.3
 WPA        0      4      9      7      0      0     20    1.3
 KY         0      3      6     10      0      0     19    1.2
 KS         0      5      4     10      0      0     19    1.2
 SNJ        0      0      9     10      0      0     19    1.2
 ONS        0      1      7      9      0      0     17    1.1
 OK         0      2      7      8      0      0     17    1.1
 NLI        0      0      4     13      0      0     17    1.1
 AR         0      3      7      6      0      0     16    1.0
 WCF        0      0     12      4      0      0     16    1.0
 STX        0      4      8      3      1      0     16    1.0
 SCV        0      6      9      1      0      0     16    1.0
 OR         0     13      1      1      0      0     15    1.0
 UT         0      4     10      1      0      0     15    1.0
 EMA        0      1      4      9      0      0     14    0.9
 SC         0      0      6      6      0      0     12    0.8
 SFL        0      1      8      3      0      0     12    0.8
 AL         0      1     10      0      1      0     12    0.8
 DE         0      2      2      7      0      0     11    0.7
 RI         0      1      6      4      0      0     11    0.7
 SDG        0      3      6      2      0      0     11    0.7
 MT         0      5      6      0      0      0     11    0.7
 NE         0      0      9      2      0      0     11    0.7
 NM         0      2      5      3      0      0     10    0.7
 WMA        0      0      1      8      0      0      9    0.6
 ONE        0      2      3      4      0      0      9    0.6
 NV         0      3      6      0      0      0      9    0.6
 SJV        0      2      7      0      0      0      9    0.6
 LA         0      3      4      1      0      0      8    0.5
 WV         0      1      4      2      1      0      8    0.5
 ND         0      1      2      5      0      0      8    0.5
 LAX        0      0      7      1      0      0      8    0.5
 AB         0      1      7      0      0      0      8    0.5
 EB         0      5      3      0      0      0      8    0.5
 ORG        0      1      4      2      0      0      7    0.5
 WY         0      3      4      0      0      0      7    0.5
 GTA        0      1      6      0      0      0      7    0.5
 SF         0      3      4      0      0      0      7    0.5
 VT         0      2      2      2      0      0      6    0.4
 QC         0      1      1      4      0      0      6    0.4
 SD         0      1      3      2      0      0      6    0.4
 ID         0      4      2      0      0      0      6    0.4
 MB         0      0      2      4      0      0      6    0.4
 MAR        0      1      1      4      0      0      6    0.4
 NNY        0      1      2      2      0      0      5    0.3
 EWA        0      3      0      2      0      0      5    0.3
 SK         0      1      3      1      0      0      5    0.3
 PAC        0      1      1      3      0      0      5    0.3
 AK         0      2      0      2      0      0      4    0.3
 BC         0      4      0      0      0      0      4    0.3
 SB         0      2      2      0      0      0      4    0.3
 ONN        0      0      0      3      0      0      3    0.2
 NT         0      0      2      1      0      0      3    0.2
 WTX        0      0      2      1      0      0      3    0.2
 NL         0      0      0      3      0      0      3    0.2
 MS         0      0      2      0      0      0      2    0.1
 VI         0      0      1      0      0      0      1    0.1
 PR         0      0      0      1      0      0      1    0.1
 Total      0    260    608    645     12      0   1525
 Sweepstakes Checks
 Check  QSOs    Pct
 00    11     0.7
   01     5     0.3
   02    13     0.9
   03    14     0.9
   04    10     0.7
   05    11     0.7
   06    10     0.7
   07     9     0.6
   08    12     0.8
   09    15     1.0
   10    12     0.8
   11     9     0.6
   12    18     1.2
   13    16     1.0
   14    23     1.5
   15    23     1.5
   16    41     2.7
   17    35     2.3
   18    31     2.0
   19    19     1.2
   20     2     0.1
   21     0     0.0
   22     0     0.0
   23     1     0.1
   24     1     0.1
   25     1     0.1
   26     0     0.0
   27     0     0.0
   28     0     0.0
   29     0     0.0
   30     1     0.1
   31     2     0.1
   32     0     0.0
   33     2     0.1
   34     0     0.0
   35     0     0.0
   36     1     0.1
   37     1     0.1
   38     0     0.0
   39     0     0.0
   40     0     0.0
   41     0     0.0
   42     0     0.0
   43     0     0.0
   44     0     0.0
   45     0     0.0
   46     2     0.1
   47     0     0.0
   48     1     0.1
   49     2     0.1
   50     1     0.1
   51     1     0.1
   52     8     0.5
   53     6     0.4
   54    12     0.8
   55    14     0.9
   56    13     0.9
   57    30     2.0
   58    28     1.8
   59    34     2.2
   60    25     1.6
   61    32     2.1
   62    29     1.9
   63    49     3.2
   64    30     2.0
   65    24     1.6
   66    31     2.0
   67    35     2.3
   68    24     1.6
   69    34     2.2
   70    30     2.0
   71    36     2.4
   72    33     2.2
   73    24     1.6
   74    33     2.2
   75    27     1.8
   76    59     3.9
   77    46     3.0
   78    32     2.1
   79    28     1.8
   80    21     1.4
   81    11     0.7
   82    14     0.9
   83    12     0.8
   84    11     0.7
   85    14     0.9
   86    17     1.1
   87    15     1.0
   88    14     0.9
   89    31     2.0
   90    22     1.4
   91    33     2.2
   92    32     2.1
   93    24     1.6
   94    24     1.6
   95    16     1.0
   96    12     0.8
   97    11     0.7
   98    20     1.3
   99     9     0.6
 U.S. Call Areas Worked
 Area    QSOs     Pct
 0     178    11.7
    1     139     9.1
    2     141     9.2
    3     165    10.8
    4     196    12.9
    5     113     7.4
    6     105     6.9
    7     114     7.5
    8     132     8.7
    9     164    10.8
 Total   1447    94.9
 Sweepstakes Precedents
 Precedent  QSOs    Pct
 A      699    45.8 B      325    21.3 Q       31     2.0 M      102     6.7 U      356    23.3 S       12     0.8

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