CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB
Call: K3ZM
Operator(s): K3ZM
Station: K3ZM
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Virginia
Operating Time (hrs): 27
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 1179 State/Prov = 58 Countries = 57 Total Score = 535,212
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
With storms across the US, the QRN was S5 to S7 on Friday evening. Then another
noise appeared for a while that sounded like rain static even though it was not
raining at that moment. It was S9 and made life difficult, but fortunately it
disappeared. The same thing happened last year, also on Friday evening.
Fortunately, signal levels from EU were pretty good and enough to overcome the
noise level. S51V was the first EU in the log at 2215Z. Then OZ1LXJ at 2309Z
and RL3A at 2332Z. DA0I, UU7J, EI3GZ and ON9CC followed.
I worked a smattering of EU's after this until it became time to focus on the
heartland of North America. Copying the West Coast or anything past the
midwest was difficult on Friday evening.
The later EU opening was productive and I managed to put 158 EU's in the log
the first night. I estimate that more than half of these are what I would call
the third tier stations. In other words, it is a real struggle to put together
their callsigns. It is so much harder on SSB.
After the first night, my total points were within 2% of last year's winning
score. The hard work extracting the EU's paid off and I had more countries.
While I was trying to sleep on Saturday morning, a really heavy rain starting
coming down. I mean, it was biblical. I was having a bizarre dream. God was
very displeased that Topband had become infected with SSB signals all across
the band and had decided to flood out the poisonous souls to cleanse 160
meters. He had commissioned our Contest Director to build an ark and ordered
him to collect two stations from each CQ 160 multiplier across the world. NT
then instructed me to help gather these stations so they would be available for
CQ 160 contests in the future. The rain poured down. The waters rose. I
searched and called CQ furiously in an effort to save the multipliers. I
became very upset, because I was missing EA8, GD, VO1, VE5 and others. I
panicked as the rain came harder and harder. And then I woke up. Wow. Too
much coffee, I guess.
Saturday got off to a slower start, but was easier. Signal levels from the
West Coast were better and there was less QRN. The EU openings were fine.
Working one by one and patiently extracting callsigns, I eventually worked a
total of 261 EU's. This includes many dupes the second night.
Highlights of the contest included calls from V51W, ZS6EZ, TA1ED, VK3IO and my
buddy Paul K8PO who is back in front of the radio. Also fun to copy K2DM.
Missed VO1, VE5 and the VE8 stuff.
As usual, a number of contest operators generously called in to provide a
contact, including K5ZD, K1DG, AD4J, K1PX and many others.
Thanks to all who answered my CQ's.
73,
Peter K3ZM
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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