The results came in for Monday night's Spartan Sprint. Out of 78 entrants, I came in 17th in scoring, if you look at it solely based on the numbers of QSOs generated. Not bad; but again not great. There's another method of scoring, which is based on the number of QSOs generated that is tied in to the weight of your station. In that category, I came in 21st, which shows I need to get cracking and finish the ATS-3 !!!!
The first method, though, is scoring as per any other QRP Sprint. And like I said before, I did okay - just okay. Such is the curse of living on a typical 100' X 50' NorthEast suburban lot. My G5RV is layed out more like a shallow horizontal Vee rather than a straight line dipole. And since the maple in the back yard had to be topped; I lost about 15 feet worth of height for the apex of the antenna. My Butternut HF9V is okay; but typically for a vertical, it's noisier than the doublet. Add to this the fact that I desperately need to re-do the radial system this Spring or Summer.
I sure could use a few higher trees in the backyard! I know that the G5RV would certainly play better if I could manage to get it up higher. But right now, 25 feet is all she wrote. My darling wife is adamant about no towers; and besides, I can't afford one anyway. So I guess I have to face it and work with what I have.
It's human nature, I guess, to always want more. I should be happy with what I have. I live in a community with no HOA's or any kind of deed restrictions. I COULD have a tower if I really desperately wanted it enough. I am not forced to live with indoor attic antennas. I need to learn to be satisfied with; and be grateful for what I have.
73 de Larry W2LJ
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