WQ6X Wanders thru a Weirdly Wonderful Ssb Sweepstakes

When it comes to Ssb Sweepstakes (2021-style).... Geez - where to begin?...  Somehow I managed to survive the Cw GiG (2 weekends ago), as well as the WAE/JIDX combo last weekend.  Due to a technicality, the NX6T Cw Sweepstakes entry was DQ'd and turned into a checklog; at least, WQ6X as a single-OP (unlimited) entry managed at LEAST a 1st-place for East Bay (EB) section.

Major goals for the 2021 sideband Sweepstakes included dual-OP'ing the contest, leveraging the opportunity to test-run the latest wiring enhancements to the dual-channel audio used to make WQ6X contest operations more effective.  Thanks to a slowly-rising SFI (Solar Flux Index), there was a hope to bring some 10-meter action back to Sweepstakes.  15-meters certainly bounced-back this year.

NX6T ran a multi-OP (LP) entry remotely from the WA6TQT Super-station atop the mountain in Anza (ORG Section).  Remoting into Anza has finally become a "no-Brainer", except for what I can only describe as "internet burbling"; every 1.5 to 2 minutes the internet connection in Concord pulses - connecting and disconnecting.  I can usually sense when it is about to happen and purposely do NoT speak into the microphone during those (approx.) 5 seconds.  For super transmit-audio I used the Electro Voice EV-664 microphone for BOTH WQ6X and NX6T operations.

Across the HF radio spectrum frequency
sensitive noise clusters were encountered altho
these may have been a byproduct of the intermittent Space-WX storms which occurred throughout the contest weekend.  With an increase in the Solar
Flux Index (SFI), we can expect more frequent
(but usually shorter) solar storms.

On the receive end of things the K3/0 audio was fed thru the myriad of DSP filters I've been experimenting with for several years now - offering me not only Stereo-Cw but a form of Stereo-Ssb as well.

For the most part, the various DSP/Audio filters were able to largely mitigate the various sources of noise; each unit having advantages for a given noise type.  Daisy-chaining the NIR-12 into the NIR-10 in many cases seems to provide better Ssb noise handling
than the DNF settings on the K3-end of the K3/0.

During radiosport contests, intentional QRM (especially on 40-meters) is sometimes an annoying problem.  On non-Ssb contest weekends, all we hear on 40-meters are people ragchewing and DX'ing.  During Ssb contest weekends, we put up with numerous Tune-up Turkeys (TuTs), RTTY
QRM and "Data Crankers".  Sweepstakes weekend brought us the usual TuTs and a data
"Spritzer" EXACTLY on the 7156.56 run frequency where it ran for HOURS until propagation
fading swept it away.

Because seeking multipliers is an integral part of Sweepstakes, I was really quite surprised to hear WH6 and KH7 stations who were actually stateside (Ca, Co & Az).  I've no doubt this confused many more operators than JUST me.  (In many RTTY contests if you are operating outside of your call area, you MUST report that fact; ex: KH7X/W7, KH7Y/W6, etc.)

When it was all over, NX6T took a 3rd place overall and a 1st place for ORG section and the Southwest Division; missing 3 sections (NL, NNY & SB) made the difference between 2nd and 3rd place.  WQ6X took 1st-place for East Bay (EB) section and (most likely) 2nd place for PAC Division.

Overall I love dual-OP'ing contests however with Sweepstakes I get to engage in two levels of traffic handing simulation; one more intense (NX6T) in contrast with a more laid-back operation (WQ6X).

DiD YOU work the November Sweepstakes Ssb contest?

Is WQ6X or NX6T in YOUR LoG?

As of April 2022:
NX6T made 3rd place overall, 1st for Southwest Division and 1st for SDG (San Diego) Section.
WQ6X ended up in 107th place overall, 2nd for PAC Division and 1st place for EB (East Bay) Section.