ARRL 160-Meter Contest
Call: K9CT
Operator(s): K9CT
Station: K9CT
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 27
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 1527 Sections = 82 Countries = 33 Total Score = 381,915
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
Goal was to beat last year's effort. Not as many QSOs but had more mults. The
first few hours are the best and most important. If you miss any part of that,
you can't make it up. It took a while but I did manage to pass last year's
score.
I was using a Flex Radio 6700 and had it setup to do SO2R on the same band.
That worked very well. I had an RX antenna that is isolated enough that I could
get within a few KHz of my TX signal. The radio is full duplex so you can listen
while TXing. I did not have any overload anywhere in the band with my strong
signal and full band of other strong cw signals. I used N1MM Plus in SO2R and
listened in Stereo or Focus on Other Radio most of the time. I shared the same
TX antenna and amplifier. I also had a prototype Maestro interface that was
next to my keyboard for S&P. It was very easy to see the spot to run in the
crowded band.
My TX antenna is a 5 element array that uses a full size driven element and
four passive T top elements (director/reflector) that can be rotated every 90
degrees. I usually used it omni except when working EU or DX stations. My main
RX antenna is the HiZ Circle 8 and the diversity and second rx antenna was the
SAL30. It is about 1200 feet from the TX antenna. I also have a 180 foot high
dipole that I can select or combine with the vertical. It helps with closer
stations as it is really a low dipole on the band.
Friday morning before the contest, I did a quick check of the antennas because
we just used them for CQ WW. I noticed that I had problems in both TX antennas.
I was still fixing them with 30 minutes before the contest started....the dipole
feedline had water at a connector about 100 feet from the base of the tower! And
the control line of the 5 element array had been chewed by a hungry animal at
the base of one of the elements. Anyhow, fixed....
I thought conditions were pretty good on the first night. Rates were very good
but got interrupted for at least a total of 30 minutes time by some unexpected
software issues. However, lost a few qsos but finally get that behind me by
0400Z with a solid fix. These ware things that just could not be found earlier
and needed to be contest tested as I was using some alpha software.
I slept two hours between 0900 and 1100 each night. Not sure I missed anything
but missed JA, ZL and VK for sure. I worked 82 ARRL sections and missed NT. AK
was hard so the AU must have kept the NT signals locked up. There were some
good signals from EU the first night at their SR...thanks for getting up and
working us S&P. Not too many the second day...not sure if condx were as
good or just not the activity. The east coast probably worked and heard many
more than us.
This contest is really one of the best cw events. Lots of good operators and
signals filling the bands. Not too many bad signals either...everyone can play
fairly close together unless you get a few clix from an older or miss-adjusted
radio.
Thanks for the fun! 73, Craig K9CT
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