ARRL 160-Meter Contest
Call: AD8P
Operator(s): AD8P
Station: AD8P
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Ohio
Operating Time (hrs): 15
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 809 Sections = 77 Countries = 19 Total Score = 160,704
Club: Mad River Radio Club
Comments:
This is one of my favorites. I guess it's because I have operated this contest
as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are a Harvey Wells TBS 50D and
an old Hallicrafters receiver. I guess that "dates" me doesn't it?
I wanted to operate more but commitments on Saturday morning to be a "Santa
Claus" and a holiday gathering on Sunday with family prevented missing much
sleep. I had purchased a "new to me" Ten Tec Centurian on Wednesday and wanted
to see what it would do in the contest. It replaced an old amp I bought 25 years
ago from N4ZZ. I couldn't be happier with it's performance along with the Ten
Tec Omni 6 Plus. QSK with a KW is a great way to operate.
Antennas and their space are a premium here. I think I make the most out of the
space available. I live on a city lot ( 75 X 200 or so). The transmit antenna is
a "TEE" vertical. It is an 80 meter open wire fed dipole at 65'. I tie the
feeders together at the tuner and feed it against ground. I have used this
antenna in one form or another for over 35 years on Topband. However, until a
couple years ago I never had any radials on it....just a ground rod. Well, 2
years ago I got the idea to put a few elevated 1/4 wave radials on it and the
change was absolutely incredible. It isn't as good as a full sized vertical but
it works for me. I worked a total of 82 countries on 160 in 2004 with the new
version. This included 3B9C.
Hearing is the real challenge. Fortunately my property butts up to a farm behind
me. The farm owner has gratiously allowed me to put up a 5 pennant receive array
about 300 feet behind my property line. What a difference ears make. I now can
say I work about 95% of what I can hear. I don't think I am an aligator but I
suppose I could be. I have purchased most of the materials for a 2 wire beverage
and I hope to get it up in the next week or 10 days. I have a feeling that will
work much better than the pennants.
Conditions were abnormally noisy here both nights. Usually this is a pretty
quiet spot for being in town so maybe it has something to do with the 25,000
Christmas lights the XYL had me hang a few days ago? Who knows. Anyway the noise
was intermittent so I could deal with it.
I started with 3 good hours before a 2 hour dinner with my wife. 100, 80, and
97. Not bad for an old guy who can't hear in one ear. After dinner I returned
with another good hour of 103. I did some S&P and some CQ'n and had good results
with both. There was activity way way way up the band.
I managed to bag several European stations but had just one answer a CQ. I'm not
proud....I can call them. 10 Europeans in the log this time. There might be a
new country in the mess also which is a big plus. I really thank those DX
stations who come on to help the scores. It means a lot to those here and in
Canada.
With 77 sections worked I managed to miss just NWT, PR, and AK. I did work at
least 2 stations in all other sections except WYO. I worked more stations in
California (47) than I did in Ohio (36). As a matter of fact, Minnesota was
second at 41 and Virginia third with 38. I know it says something to work 47
California stations, I just don't know what that is though.
K6TQ was the first of the California gold rush on Friday. It was 3:45 pm his
time when he made the log. Fellas, from Ohio looking east, I get nothing but
very loud hiss at 3:45 in the afternoon. Great job out there.
Someday I would love to operate at a good location from the east coast to hear
just how loud Europe gets. That would be a real hoot.
Thanks for the Q's guys and gals. See you in the Stew and in the CQWW160
contest.
Bill AD8P
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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