All scores are claimed scores unless otherwise noted. January: CWOps CWT 1300Z January 3 • QSOs: 53 • Mults: 52 • Score: 2,756 • Op Time: 30 minutes Session 1 for 2018. Still on my program to avoid cluster spots, call history etc. to minimize the use of operating crutches and force me to copy 100% of what is sent January: CWOps CWT 1900Z January 3 • QSOs: 13 • Mults: 13 • Score: 169 • Op Time: 10 minutes Session 2 for 2018 January: CWOps CWT 300Z January 4 • QSOs: 37 • Mults: 36 • Score: 1,332 • Op Time: 20 minutes Session 3 for 2018. One of the very rare days when I operated all 3 CWTs. January: ARRL RTTY Roundup (Final Score) • QSOs: 1,071 • Mults: 98 • Score: 103,684 • Op Time: 20:45 Eighth place for US/VE SOLP, third place Central Division, first place Indiana. My highest QSO total ever in any contest, and a higher score than last year's Round Up. More QSO's, more mults, what's not to like about how I spent the weekend? My biggest improvement was in the number of DX multipliers. I tracked my score on line and prefer the format used by contestonlinescore.com as they separate the assisted and the unassisted categories. I operated unassisted but, looking at the early returns on 3830, it seems like I might have placed higher overall had I operated with assistance as the scores in that category seem to be smaller. One of the things I like about the Round Up is you don't have to have big antennas to post a big score as there is nothing gained by running Europeans one after the other as is the case with CQWW, for instance. Mults count once, not once per band, and all QSOs count for the same point total regardless of where the station is located. So after you work that first station from France and that first station from Indiana, thereafter you can tune right past all the weaker French stations and work the louder Indiana stations first. January: NAQP CW (Final Score) • QSOs: 921 • Mults: 196 • Score: 0 • Op Time: 12 hours Decided to operate in the M2 category to give me the benefit of using spotting and being able to operate the entire 12 hours. Unfortunately I did not fully understand the 10-minute band change rule, so had to submit my log as a check log. January: CWOps CWT 1300Z January 10 • QSOs: 66 • Mults: 66 • Score: 4,356 • Op Time: 45 minutes Session 4 for 2018. January: CWOps CWT 1900Z January 10 • QSOs: 90 • Mults: 86 • Score: 7,740 • Op Time: 60 minutes Session 5 for 2018. January: CWOps CWT 1300Z January 17 • QSOs: 63 • Mults: 63 • Score: 3,969 • Op Time: 38 minutes Session 6 for 2018. January: CWOps CWT 1900Z January 17 • QSOs: 52 • Mults: 42 • Score: 2,704 • Op Time: 30 minutes Session 7 for 2018. January: NAQP SSB • QSOs: 192 • Mults: 84 • Score: 16,128 • Op Time: 5 hours Very little high band or low band activity, so almost all QSO’s were on 20M and 40M. January: CWOps CWT 1300Z January 24 • QSOs: 49 • Mults: 43 • Score: 2,107 • Op Time: 30 minutes Session 8 for 2018. January: CWOps CWT 0300Z January 25 • QSOs: 58 • Mults: 54 • Score: 3,132 • Op Time: .75 minutes Session 9 for 2018. January: CQ 160 • QSOs: 441 • Points: 1,032 • Mults: 63 • Score: 65,016 • Op Time: 7.5 hours The bands were quiet and activity was high, always a good recipe for fun. All QSOs were made on the long wire. January: ARRL DX CW • QSOs: 60 • Points: 174 • Mults: 46 • Score: 8,004 Not a serious effort but did manage to work Palau for a new band slot on 40M. February: CWOps CWT 1300Z February 21 • QSOs: 60 • Mults: 59 • Score: 3,540 • Op Time: 30 minutes Session 10 for 2018. February: CWOps CWT 1300Z February 21 • QSOs: 83 • Mults: 81 • Score: 6,723 • Op Time: 60 minutes Session 11 for 2018. February: CWOps CWT 300Z February 22 • QSOs: 33 • Mults: 33 • Score: 1,089 • Op Time: 20 minutes Session 12 for 2018. Another rare day when I operated in all 3 CWTs. February: NAQP RTTY (Final Score) • QSOs: 600 • Mults: 116 • Score: 69,600 • Op Time: 10 hours First place Indiana and second place 9the call district. Very strange band conditions at the start. Nothing on 15M or 10M so no mults to be had there. Some stations heard on 20M but they were often east and west coasters working each other and they could not hear me. So, went to 40M and 80M much earlier than usual. Pretty good performance in terms of total QSOs but could not make up for the lack of mults, so my overall score was a disappointment. February: CWOps CWT 1300Z February 28 • QSOs: 53 • Mults: 53 • Score: 2,809 • Op Time: 30 minutes Session 13 for 2018. February: CWOps CWT 1900Z February 28 • QSOs: 41 • Mults: 41 • Score: 1,681 • Op Time: 30 minutes Session 14 for 2018. March: CWOps CWT 1300Z March 7 • QSOs: 121 • Mults: 100 • Score: 12,100 • Op Time: 1 hour Session 15 for 2018. My best score of the year. In fact, the best in a long time. March: CWOps CWT 1900Z March 7 • QSOs: 39 • Mults: 39 • Score: 1,521 • Op Time: 30 minutes Session 16 for 2018. March: WIQP • QSOs: 81 • Points: 159 • Mults: 43 • Score: 6,837 A modest effort compared to previous years. March: CWOps CWT 1300Z March 14 • QSOs: 97 • Mults: 91 • Score: 8,827 • Op Time: 1 hour Session 17 for 2018. Signed as K9WX/m to test the log integration issues with DXLab and the /m callsign, but operated from the shack. March: CWOps CWT 1900Z March 14 • QSOs: 31 • Mults: 31 • Score: 961 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 18 for 2018. March: CWOps CWT 1300Z March 21 • QSOs: 81 • Mults: 77 • Score: 6,237 • Op Time: 45 minutes Session 19 for 2018. March: CWOps CWT 1900Z March 21 • QSOs: 30 • Mults: 30 • Score: 900 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 20 for 2018. March: CWOps CWT 1300Z March 28 • QSOs: 26 • Mults: 26 • Score: 900 Op Time: 20 minutes Session 21 for 2018. Signed as K9WX/m but operated from shack. March: CWOps CWT 1900Z March 28 • QSOs: 79 • Mults: 74 • Score: 5,846 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 22 for 2018. April: CWOps CWT 1300Z April 18 • QSOs: 45 • Mults: 44 • Score: 1,980 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 23 for 2018. April: CWOps CWT 1300Z April 25 • QSOs: 30 • Mults: 30 • Score: 900 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 24 for 2018. Signed as K9WX/m April: CWOps CWT 1900Z April 25 • QSOs: 22 • Mults: 21 • Score: 462 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 25 for 2018. Signed as K9WX/m and operated from driveway to test INQP mobile setup. April: FQP • QSOs: 11 • Points: 44 • Mults: 11 • Score: 484 Op Time: a few minutes May: CWOps CWT 1300Z May 02 • QSOs: 32 • Mults: 32 • Score: 1,024 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 26 for 2018. Signed as K9WX/m and operated from driveway to test INQP mobile setup. May: CWOps CWT 1900Z May 02 • QSOs: 33 • Mults: 31 • Score: 1,023 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 27 for 2018. Signed as K9WX/m and operated from driveway to test INQP mobile setup. May: INQP (Final Score) • QSOs: 275 • Points: 546 • Mults: 63 • Score: 34,398 • States and Provinces multipliers: 48 • Indiana County multipliers: 15 Op Time: 6 hours Third place for mobile stations. In recent years I have operated mobile or portable with Andy K9ELF. He would do the phone and I would do the CW. This year I was only available in the morning and afternoon and he was only available in the evening. So, no partnership was possible. My XYL agreed to be my driver and an 11 county, half-day mobile operation was planned with the expectation that activity would be limited to 20 and 40 CW. Unlike previous years there were no county line operations planned, so every contact would result in just a single QSO instead of 2 QSOs. The goal was to call CQ on 40M and then move to 20M and CQ there to give both close in and distant stations the chance to snag the multipliers I would be providing. We hit our first county, White, right as the contest started and the rate was brisk. It was, in fact, the best of the contest, logging 62 QSOs the first hour. The second hour was almost as good with 57 QSOs in the log. I noticed, however, that I was primarily logging out-of-state stations, even on 40M, and that ended up being the story of the day. Bands were long and in-state QSOs were hard to come by. When I could hear the in-state stuff, it was invariably weak. Even N9FN, who normally is very loud in the INQP, was difficult to hear. One surprising exception was KJ9C/m who was in Knox county when I worked him just 30 minutes after the start of the contest. He was incredibly loud and I thought, all right, it’s gonna be a great day. But I was only able to work him one other time and even then it was at ESP levels. The XYL had committed to a 5-hour operation and we were back home as planned at 2000z. She jumped out of the car and I headed to Carroll County to park and operate as I had agreed to that activation. I made a quick 14 QSOs there and headed for home, stopping for a bit in White County to log a few more Qs there for the benefit of anyone who had missed me the first time through. I was about ready to pack it in when I came across K9IZ/m who was also surprisingly loud and on a county line to boot. I got him in the log and decided that must be a sign since I was out of time. I had made my last QSO of the day. I found the 7QPs stations were their usual cordial selves, with lots of them in my log. I only had an hour overlap with the NEQP and, by contrast, I found it much more difficult to get them in the log. Perhaps someday someone will come up with an explanation for this difference. Highlight of the day: the Knox County QSO with KJ9C. Knox is the last county I need confirmed to qualify for the Worked All Indiana award. Lowlight of the day: when I got to Vermillion I mistakenly programmed N1MM to report that I was in Vigo County. I will mark these QSOs as Vermillion when I upload to LOTW and will confirm that I was in Vermillion should anyone send me a card. But if you needed Vigo and you worked me, then I apologize for the error; hopefully you were able work a REAL Vigo station sometime that day. Observation: some of the wind turbines in northern Indiana put out a lot of RF noise. In a couple of cases I had to stop operating until we were well past the offender. May: CWOps CWT 1300Z May 16 • QSOs: 52 • Mults: 49 • Score: 2,548 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 28 for 2018. May: CWOps CWT 1300Z May 23 • QSOs: 54 • Mults: 54 • Score: 2,916 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 29 for 2018. May: CWOps CWT 1900Z May 23 • QSOs: 89 • Mults: 75 • Score: 6,675 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 30 for 2018. Called CQ on 20M for several minutes at start of contest with no replies so this cut into my overall rate. Went to S&P and rates were good. Then called CQ (still on 20M) and got some takers. Not sure why 20M was a dud at the start. May: CWOps CWT 1300Z May 30 • QSOs: 100 • Mults: 97 • Score: 9,700 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 31 for 2018. My first operating effort with my new Flex 6600. May: CWOps CWT 1900Z May 30 • QSOs: 30 • Mults: 30 • Score: 900 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 32 for 2018. June: KY QP • QSOs: 18 • Points: 33 • Mults: 10 • Score: 860 June: CWOps CWT 1300Z June 6 • QSOs: 92 • Mults: 92 • Score: 8,464 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 33 for 2018. June: DRCG WW RTTY • QSOs: 39 • Points: 299 • Mults: 20 • Score: 5,681 First RTTY operation with my new Flex 6600 June: CWOps CWT 1300Z June 13 • QSOs: 59 • Mults: 55 • Score: 3245 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 33 for 2018. June: CWOps CWT 1300Z June 13 • QSOs: 59 • Mults: 55 • Score: 3,245 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 33 for 2018. June: CWOps CWT 1900Z June 13 • QSOs: 80 • Mults: 76 • Score: 6,080 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 34 for 2018. June: CWOps CWT 1300Z June 20 • QSOs: 103 • Mults: 87 • Score: 8,961 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 35 for 2018. June: CWOps CWT 1900Z June 20 • QSOs: 50 • Mults: 45 • Score: 2,250 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 36 for 2018. June: Field Day at W9LDX • QSOs: 1,622 • Points: 2,327 • Bonus points: 1,470 • Score: 6,124 Our typical 1A entry. QSOs were down slightly from last year but we had a higher percentage of CW QSOs. The big difference: 80M overnight was very noisy, reducing overnight productivity. June: CWOps CWT 1300Z June 27 • QSOs: 49 • Mults: 49 • Score: 2,401 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 37 for 2018. June: CWOps CWT 1900Z June 27 • QSOs: 93 • Mults: 83 • Score: 7,719 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 38 for 2018. July: RAC Canada Day • QSOs: 247 • Points: 1,232 • Mults: 14 • Score: 17,248 Op Time: 6.5 hours My typical 40M effort. Logged fewer Canadian stations than in the past, so point total was a disappointment. July: CWOps CWT 1300Z July 4 • QSOs: 92 • Mults: 87 • Score: 8,004 Session 39 for 2018. A low power effort. July: CWOps CWT 1900Z July 9 • QSOs: 99 • Mults: 92 • Score: 9,108 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 40 for 2018. A low power effort. July: DL-DX RTTY • QSOs: 159 • Points: 1,150 • Mults: 61 • Score: 70,150 Op Time: 6 hours Had hoped to fully test the FLEX in this mode but rates were not very high and the contest does not allow SO2R. July: CWOps CWT 1900Z July 11 • QSOs: 40 • Mults: 39 • Score: 1,560 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 41 for 2018. A low power effort. Had connectivity issues for the Maestro. Bummer. July: IARU HF Championship (Final Score) • QSOs: 868 • Points: 2,037 • Mults: 114 • Score: 229,368 Op Time: 15 hours Fifth place NA and my best score ever for this contest. Connection issues continued for the Maestro. But when it worked, it worked well. Entered in the SOAB(A) LP category and ended up in an informal competition with Anthony AB9YC by watching the live scoring web page. In the end he edged me out (a matter of 2 fewer 3-point QSOs on my part) so the final outcome will be determined by the log checkers. July: CWOps CWT 1300Z July 18 • QSOs: 101 • Mults: 96 • Score: 9,696 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 42 for 2018. Went to a wired connection for the Maestro and reverted to SSDR 2.2.8. Had fewer connectivity issues. July: CWOps CWT 1900Z July 18 • QSOs: 21 • Mults: 21 • Score: 441 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 43 for 2018. Connection issues remain. July: NAQP RTTY (Final Score) • QSOs: 650 • Mults: 173 • Score: 112,450 Op Time: 10 hours First place Indiana, third place 9th call district, sixth place overall. My best ever score for an NAQP RTTY and the first time ever over 100K points. Had some connection issues with the Maestro but muddled through. Worked 10 hours straight except for a 30 minute break at the 5 hours mark. Did not sign up for a team as I was not confident in my use of the new radio: mistake. July: CWOps CWT 1300Z July 25 • QSOs: 60 • Mults: 57 • Score: 3,420 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 44 for 2018. Connection issues remain. August: CWOps CWT 1300Z August 1 • QSOs: 119 • Mults: 109 • Score: 12,971 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 45 for 2018. My best ever low power score. August: CWOps CWT 1900Z August 1 • QSOs: 104 • Mults: 97 • Score: 10,088 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 46 for 2018. Low power. August: NAQP CW (Final score) • QSOs: 771 • Mults: 160 • Score: 123,360 Op Time: 10 hours What a rush! Can only fantasize about what my final score would have been if 10 and 15 could have yielded the multipliers in this contest that I got in the RTTY contest just a couple weeks earlier. Still only good for fourth place Indiana. August: CWOps CWT 1300Z August 8 • QSOs: 49 • Mults: 49 • Score: 2,401 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 47 for 2018. Low power. August: CWOps CWT 1300Z August 15 • QSOs: 102 • Mults: 102 • Score: 10,710 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 49 for 2018. Low power. August: CWOps CWT 1900Z August 15 • QSOs: 28 • Mults: 28 • Score: 784 Op Time: 15 minutes Session 50 for 2018. Low power. August: NAQP SSB (Final Score) • QSOs: 193 • Mults: 77 • Score: 14,861 Op Time: 7:45 August: CWOps CWT 1300Z August 22 • QSOs: 43 • Mults: 43 • Score: 1,849 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 51 for 2018. Low power. August: CWOps CWT 1900Z August 22 • QSOs: 67 • Mults: 67 • Score: 4,489 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 51 for 2018. Low power. August: CWOps CWT 1300Z August 29 • QSOs: 105 • Mults: 98 • Score: 10,290 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 52 for 2018. Low power. August: CWOps CWT 1900Z August 29 • QSOs: 10 • Mults: 10 • Score: 100 Op Time: 10 minutes Session 53 for 2018. Low power. Operated just enough to satisfy the CWT qualifitying requirements. September: CWOps CWT 1300Z September 8 • QSOs: 101 • Mults: 95 • Score: 9,595 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 54 for 2018. Low power. September: CWOps CWT 1300Z September 12 • QSOs: 98 • Mults: 98 • Score: 9,604 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 55 for 2018. Low power. September: CWOps CWT 1300Z September 19 • QSOs: 76 • Mults: 75 • Score: 5,700 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 56 for 2018. Low power. September: CWOps CWT 1900Z September 19 • QSOs: 69 • Mults: 69 • Score: 4,761 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 57 for 2018. Low power. September: Washington QSO Party • QSOs: 17 • Points: 51 • Mults: 8 • Score: 408 I have no idea why I operated this contest. It does not appear I made much of an effort. September: CWOps CWT 1300Z September 26 • QSOs: 61 • Mults: 61 • Score: 3,721 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 58 for 2018. Low power. September: CWOps CWT 1900Z September 26 • QSOs: 95 • Mults: 94 • Score: 8,930 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 59 for 2018. Low power. October: CWOps CWT 1300Z October 3 • QSOs: 107 • Mults: 100 • Score: 10,700 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 60 for 2018. Low power. October: CWOps CWT 1900Z October 3 • QSOs: 33 • Mults: 33 • Score: 1,089 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 61 for 2018. Low power. October: CWOps CWT 1900Z October 24 • QSOs: 38 • Mults: 38 • Score: 1,444 Op Time: 30 minutes Session 62 for 2018. Low power. October: CWOps CWT 1900Z October 31 • QSOs: 101 • Mults: 98 • Score: 9,898 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 62 for 2018. Low power. November: SSCW (Final Score) • QSOs: 683 • Mults: 81 • Score: 110,646 Op Time: 15 hours First place Indiana and 4th place Central Division for Unlimited Low-power. Missed NE and VI for the sweep. Both of which I heard but they were weak with huge pileups so I moved on in order to not waste the time. A lower score than last year but also 5 fewer hours in the chair. November: CWOps CWT 1300Z November 7 • QSOs: 96 • Mults: 93 • Score: 8,928 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 63 for 2018. Low power. November: CWOps CWT 1300Z November 14 • QSOs: 81 • Mults: 81 • Score: 6,561 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 64 for 2018. Low power. November: CWOps CWT 1900Z November 14 • QSOs: 77 • Mults: 77 • Score: 5,698 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 65 for 2018. Low power. November: SS SSB • QSOs: 314 • Mults: 77 • Score: 48,356 Op Time: 10 hours Band conditions Saturday night were not very good, so I went QRT around 10 pm and missed 3 or 4 hours of potentially good rate operating time. November: FT8 Round Up Practice • QSOs: 35 This event was held to test software and concept for the upcoming FT8 Round Up in December. Some minor bugs in the software but, for the most part, it worked well. But there was no visceral connection like there is with RTTY. QSOs take a bit longer than RTTY but the biggest disconnet is you have to wait unit the end of the 15 second transmission cycle to know if you are working someone, whereas with RTTY you see your callsign start to print almost right away. November: CWOps CWT 1300Z November 21 • QSOs: 97 • Mults: 91 • Score: 8,827 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 66 for 2018. Low power. November: CWOps CWT 1900Z November 21 • QSOs: 98 • Mults: 97 • Score: 9,506 Op Time: 60 minutes Session 66 for 2018. Low power. November: CQ WW CW (Final Score) • QSOs: 289 • Points: 815 • Zones: 43 • Countries: 130 • Score: 140,995 Op Time: 10 hours Low power. My first time operating in this contest in many years. Picked up 2 new Challenge slots, 5 new CWops countries and, hopefully, several grids for the ARRL Grid Chase. I submitted as a 20m entry and won first place for the 9th call district , 9th place USA and 10th place North America. December: FT8 Roundup (Final Score) • QSOs: 208 • Mults: 71 • Score: 14,484 Op Time: 11 hours A brand new contest for this almost brand new mode. First place Indiana and #85 out of 1,128 entries. Very slow pace compared to RTTY contesting. December: ARRL 160 (Final Score) • QSOs: 285 • Mults: 66 • Score: 38,214 Op Time: 5.5 hours Single Op Unlimited Low Power. First place Indiana and 6th place Central Division.