ARRL CW DX Contest

[N1API]

Well, quite a weekend. The bands were nice. They did not close early like the last contest. In fact 20 meters was open the beginning of the contest and I spent the first 3 or so hours working EU, AF SA, PAC, AS, ZL and a few other. I put over 40 countries in the log on 20 meters before stopping for the night. It was about the best performance for me on a Friday night opening that I can remember. I had a little bit of an issue with the radio computer Saturday morning. It keep loosing the USB ports. I kept getting an error message about the AD Buffer being full, I'm not sure if that was the program or the computer and I had to reboot a couple of times but after it worked well. No real shocker contacts though I was pleased to be able to break into some of the pileups with the "big boys" on 20 meters. The HL from Korea was one and the TK from Corsica the other that were pretty well piled up. The TK took me about a half hour of work to break. I was fortunate to be the first on a few semi-rare ones and after I worked and spotted them stuck around for a few seconds to hear the whole world descend on the station I spotted.

I had a nice break Saturday afternoon from the contest. I had front a front row seat to see Rain at the Oakdale. The concert started a little after 2 PM, (delayed slightly because of the WX and people arriving late), and ended about 4:15. I was home by about 5 with delays due to the arriving snowstorm and got back on the air about 5:30, though I didn't put quite the effort in Saturday evening as I normally do. I quit about 9 PM to watch a DVD.

Anyway here is the damage.

START-OF-LOG: 3.0
LOCATION: CT
CALLSIGN: N1API
CLUB: Meriden ARC
CONTEST: ARRL-DX-CW
CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
CATEGORY-ASSISTED: ASSISTED
CATEGORY-BAND: ALL
CATEGORY-MODE: CW
CATEGORY-POWER: LOW
CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED
CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE
CLAIMED-SCORE: 411723
OPERATORS: N1API
NAME: Al
ADDRESS:
ADDRESS-CITY: Meriden
ADDRESS-STATE-PROVINCE: CT
ADDRESS-POSTALCODE: 06451
ADDRESS-COUNTRY: United States
CREATED-BY: N1MM Logger V14.1.2

Band break down

Band --------- QSOs ------- Countries
20 ----------- 179 --------- 73
15 ----------- 234 --------- 75
10 ----------- 208 --------- 73
Totals ------- 621 ---------221
Total different countries worked 97
Score: 411,723

-73