ARRL Log Deadline Brings No Surprise as WP3R (KE3Q) Keeps First in 2007 Sweeps SSB

By Jamie Dupree NS3T, radio-sport.net 

With the log deadline now passed and the posted claimed scores on the web, only a log checking disaster could seemingly keep Rich Boyd KE3Q from a 10th consecutive win in the November Sweepstakes SSB Contest.

Operating at WP3R in Puerto Rico again in 2007, Boyd's claimed score of 401,920 has him far ahead of the competition.

Boyd's closest pursuer remains George Fremin K5TR, who steered his Texas Radio station to 334,880 points, well behind Boyd, but solidly in second place.

"All in all, things went well," Fremin said, telling radio-sport.net in November that "it was a good contest."

Just as WP3R seems secure in first place, Fremin also looks to have a lock on second, unless his log turns out to be gibberish, as he has a 27,000 point advantage on third place W7WA. KD0S (WD0T) and W0SD (W0DB) finish out the high power claimed top five.

Over in the low power category, early leader Bruce Draper AA5B continues to have a three thousand point advantage on veteran contester Paul Newberry N4PN.

Draper told radio-sport.net that this was the first single operator effort he has made in the November Sweeps SSB in 15 years.

"It would be cool to get NN5K's callsign into the (top ten) box as a way of rewarding him for letting me operate his station," said Draper.

AA5B operated NN5K to 235,578 points to 232,480 for N4PN, meaning the log checkers could well decide the low power winner.

Newberry was very pleased with his SSB effort.

"I had some really good runs on 80 all over the US and didn't go that far up in the band," said Newberry, "and the Q's just kept on coming."

"The surprise was the many new hams (check 06/07) who knew what they were doing and gave the correct response," said Newberry. "The new 'no code' will give us plenty of hams in the phone contest. Time will tell how it affects the CW test."

In third place now in low power is John Bayne KK9K, who registered 223,360 as W4AAA. Mike Kasrich AJ9C and K1BX round out the top five in claimed low power scores.

Fourth place Kasrich said his good showing was due in part to some Sweepstakes tips from a veteran contester.

"The biggest key was listening to Mike W9RE last year regarding band strategy," said Kasrich.

"Mike basically suggested starting on 40 and then heading lower in frequency," said Kasrich, who also used an idea from N9RV to "stay ahead of the band changes."

While the log checks may well decide low power, they will certainly determine who wins the Unlimited category, as Dave Hachadorian K6LL leads Mitch Mason K7RL by just 800 points - 296,320 to 295,520.

The 3830 numbers had K7RL narrowly ahead, but that changed once they dumped logs into the ARRL robot. Over in the Unlimited category, there is a very close race between defending champ Mitch Mason K7RL and Dave Hachadorian K6LL.

Right now Mason has the edge with 296,480 points to 296,160 for Hachadorian - a difference of just 320 points.

Hachadorian might have done better, but for a jammer who went after him Sunday on twenty meters.

In the QRP category, the leader in the clubhouse is Al Sinopoli KC5R with 112,800 points. His lead is 5500 points over N9KT, who has an outside chance to win if the log checks go bad for the leader.

The Multi-op claimed lead is for now in the hands of Team K5NA, as Richard King's group has over 329,000 points and a more than eight thousand point lead on W6YI from California.