ARRL 160-Meter Contest
Call: W2GD
Operator(s): K2SG, K2TW, W1GD, W2CG, W2GD, W2NO, W2OB, W2RQ, N2HM, N2OO
Station: W2GD
Class: M/S HP
QTH: SNJ
Operating Time (hrs): 38
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 1724 Sections = 79 Countries = 57 Total Score = 561,272
Club: Frankford Radio Club
Comments:
Station located on the SNJ Shoreline, 20 miles N of Atlantic City
K3 + IC746 slave RX + Alpha 99
K3 + Alpha 78
WIN-TEST Software
2 ele Vertical Beam NE and SW
5 beverages S/N, NE/SW, NW/SE, W, NE
Short RX Vertical
We annually use the ARRL 160 contest to shake down the station in preparation
for CQ160 CW in January. Some years we're fortuante to be very competitive,
everything comes together easily, but apparently this was not to be one of our
better efforts, the score is down about 10% from last year. But we did
determine some changes made to the main TX antenna config were very
successful.
Last season we realized the renovation of the 300 foot tower with unbroken guys
several years earlier had effectively detuned our 160M multi-element vertical TX
array. Field strength readings taken last winter revealed the pattern was
horribly distorted, to the point we had no gain at all to the west, and there
were strong lobes where we didn't want lobes. This fall W1GD worked on several
modeling exercises using EZNEC to determine which specific guy set or sets were
'hot'. We got lucky, it turned out only one set had to be modified to fix the
problem (the 4th guyset attached at 160'). The Tuesday after CQWW SSB in early
November, K4ZA, W1GD and I spent the day out in the marsh working on the 4th set
of guys, adding ceramic insulators at the tower and about 90 feet up from the
ground anchor. EZNEC predicted this change would return the antenna to normal
performance. At least at the time we had high hopes the model would be
accurate.
Team members W2CG, K2TW, W2NO, N2OO and two members of the SJDXA arrived at
the station Friday morning to complete antenna installation work and setup
station equipment. It was nice sunny fall day, in the mid-40s, but a little on
the windy side. The first order of business was to finish installing and then
tuning the transmit vertical array hung from the 300' tower out in the marsh.
During a work party 3 weekends earlier, both driven elements were put up but
left untuned, and a snagged pull rope prevented properly positioning the West
driven element. After 2.5 hours of real 'dirty work' in the marsh the drivens
were tuned to perfection at 1825. Pre-contest listening tests indicated the TX
array once again had audible front to back and front to side. We were very
pleased!
Other team members were concurrently busy installing the 20 foot rx vertical
2000' away, walking the 4200 feet of beverages, etc. Fortunately there were
only a few downed trees this year.
In the shack W2NO, W2CG and W1GD were configuring the radios, amps, keyers,
lockout boxes, and computers/network. We soon discovered the Alpha 78 was DOA
so an old Drake L7 was put on the table in its place (the 78 problem was
tracked down and repaired late Friday night). With so many cables, setup is
always a "tense" time in the shack...working against the clock. Miraculously
we were ready right at 2200Z.
After the very first CQ, there was an instant pileup of EU stations calling.
But they were zerobeat and at the noise level. We soon discovered the NE
beverage sounded "noisy" and wasn't working right (a problem still to be
resolved) and the SW beverage wasn't hearing anything (repaired Saturday
morning, a bad coax connector). But the short vertical was performing better
than expected, hearing the DX great....it saved the evening.
We seemed to get off to a very good start, the first several hours were in the
120+ range. And a fair number of Europeans were in the W/VE mix. By morning
we had 50 countries and 79 sections, missing just VE8 for the sweep.
No VK/ZL/JA the first sunrise. But apparently the K1LZ and W2FU teams had
already built an insurmountable lead. Congratulations guys.
At about dawn, Arnie, W2OB arrived and did his regular yoeman job keeping the
station on the air during the daylight hours. TNX OM.
A storm in the Ohio Valley increased the noise floor the second night. Crashes
and weak DX signals don't mix. Conditions the second night were not much
different from the first, just more QRN from an approaching storm in the
central states. EU signals were still not loud, they would ride the QSB waves
up and down, in and out of the noise, often plunging into QRN crash oblivion
before a callsign could be confirmed. Maddening! No EU sunrise enhancement.
But we worked ZL8X first call and a JA at sunrise.
The second night of the ARRL 160 is much like SS.....the rates are never
terrific, but you have to be there, and grind out whatever QSOs can be had.
The addition of 8 more multipliers keep things interesting.
We kept watching GETSCORES and tried very hard to catch up to K1LZ in Qs and
Mults, but it just wasn't to be. We hope other competitiors in multi will also
post on GETSCORES in future contests.
Our congratulations to the K1LZ team for grabing the lead and holding it from
start to finish. Great job guys. Our hats are also off to W2FU, N0NI and
others who had great team efforts.
Our fun would not be possible without the full and unending cooperation and
assistance from the owners and operators of WYRS-FM, and the members of the
SJDXA for their assistance in maintaining the site year-round.
Look forward to working many of you again during the TBDC and next year in the
CQ160 CW.
73,
John W2GD/P40W for the the Team
w2gd@hotmail.com
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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