SST results are getting better

I was informed recently about the K1USN SST contest.   I have now adjusted my schedule to participate with the SST twice per week (Friday and Sunday, Pacific time).

My first attempt was feeble but I was still glad to work the contest and I had absolute blast.  So much fun, I was so disappointed when the time expired!  Just an hour.  Oh well, it reminds me to try my best to work as efficiently as I can.

This time around I decided to try to stick on a frequency and do a Run for a bit.  It was a slow start, but then the stations starting piling and I tried to keep up.  The Bard taught me the best pile up has one station.  As long as one at a time, I can work them.   But, that's OK.  I had a few moments of 2-3 at once and I took the strongest signal that I could copy.

That was great fun -- not using S/P and just trying to copy and copy the first time without a request for a repeated call.

Then I decided to check out the band -- the spot map was lighting up and so I tried to snag more contacts of the stations who were were spotted that I could hear.   

The goal this week was to improve my rate to at least 1 QSO every 2 minutes.  I almost made it.  I had 28 QSO and 18 multipliers (I scored myself too low when I posted the score rumor on 3830 web site).

My goal is to keep raising the rate and by the Fall (Salmon Run, WA-State QSO Party hosted by the Western Washington DX Club).

If I can get to a decent rate of about 2 per minute that would be a fine goal.  I could stretch the goal to more than that, but the goal is to gain ability to copy what I hear w/o delay and confusion.   It's getting easier,  I have to admit.

I schedule myself so that I can participate on the SST (K1USN SST), the MST supported by the ICWC.   The speeds are gradually faster between SST to MST.

MST is between 20 to 25 wpm.  And, SST is supposed to be under 20 wpm.  I set my keyer to run at 17 to 18 wpm on SST.

My latest score on SST:

https://www.3830scores.com/showrumor.php?arg=21aHzBygqismk

Special thanks to Rusty W6OAT, Hank W6SX and Mark W6UFO for encouragement and advice!

A post script -- the results of the Arkansas QSO Party were disappointing --- band conditions?  The 3830 showed considerable activity and scores, but I couldn't hear much from Washington state. Another lesson learned was to classify my station as Low Power not High Power since I'm just at 90 Watts .

And the "simple shack" is now moved.  No more stacks of radios, just the simple things.  Missing from the photo is the KPA-500 (that is on the list to get this Fall).