ARRL 160-Meter Contest - 2019
Call: WD6T
Operator(s): WD6T
Station: N6RO
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Oakley, California
Operating Time (hrs): 25
Radios: SO2R
Remote Operation
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 898 Sections = 82 Countries = 35 Total Score = 241,020
Club: Northern California Contest Club
Comments:
This was my second serious ARRL 160 and the first time doing it SO. I'm not a
fan of staying awake for two nights in a row (and neither is my body, dog or
XYL), but since my Multi partner-in-crime from last year (W9KKN) decided to go
it alone, and Ken (N6RO) wasn't up for a big effort, I ended up doing this one
solo.
My goals were to beat our last year's score and to break the existing Pacific
Division ARRL SO Unlimited HP record. I achieved the first goal, and probably
the second. (The ARRL web site has scores only up to 2017.) All in all, an
exciting contest from one of the top 160m W. Coast stations.
It seemed as if activity was up this year. This meant higher rates, but also
more QRM. At times it felt more like a Sweepstakes slug fest than the spiritual
experience that 160m DX'ing can provide: "Is there someone there? Or is it
just the rustling of a filter in the wind?"
Rain was predicted all weekend, but it behaved itself as best it could, at least
the first night, letting up at the time of my drive to and from Oakley and not
making too much static. But the second night it was pouring and I was concerned
about driving home in the storm with little sleep. So Ken and I decided I should
operate the second night remotely from Berkeley. This meant that, without a way
to remotely control the 4-square, I had to rely on a variant of the
"armstrong method," i.e. troubling Ken to walk out to the shack and
push the right button. He patiently did this for me multiple times over the
evening, for which I am extremely greatful (not to mention, for access to his
fantastic station!) As for the rain static, it was bad at the start of the
second night, but got gradually better as the storm diminished.
Due to the crowding of the band (and general reluctance by some to go higher in
frequency), nearly all of the EU spots had loud domestic stations CQ'ing nearly
on top of them. Consequently, most of the Europeans I worked were answers to my
CQs.
Amazingly, after much meditation and proving that my soul was worthy (and lots
of CQ'ing), a phantom European station would emerge from the Great Beyond long
enough to give me his call sign. These openings came in "spotlight"
fashion with a few EUs from a particular region over a few minutes, than nothing
for hours. The most surprising, and welcome after the hours of CQ'ing, was when
I was called by multiple EU Russians at about 1350z, via short path. On the
other hand, I had no luck CQ'ing via long path at our sunrise.
By continent, roughly 90% of the contacts were with North America. The remainder
borke down as 5% Asia, 3% Europe, 1% Oceania, 0.5% South America and one
African. Eighty-four of the 898 contacts were 5-pointers. Of these, half were
JAs. In fact, I worked more JAs than any single ARRL section. Almost all the
other DX mults were provided by single stations, and a few of those were ESP
contacts, so let the log-checking begin!
As for sections, the "onesies" were NT, ND, NL, VT, and two surprising
ones: NNY and ONN. The only section I missed was SK. I heard one once but he
was calling someone else. The NT that I worked was almost exactly on top of a
VE3, resulting in some confusion; I hope he logged me okay. The most common
sections were WWA and MN, followed by AZ, IL, EPA, OH, OR and VA.
Oddly, diversity RX was less effective in this contest than I remember it from
last year (I was on the K3 then). Generally, the TX antenna (wire 4-square) was
hearing better than the RX antenna (SAL-30.) An added complication was combining
it with SO2V and every time I'd go back to listening to one "radio",
the TX antenna pan got slammed back to the center. Perhaps this could be worked
around with N1MM macros.
Blow by blow:
Night #1 - I walked and fed my dog early and had it all worked out to arrive
well before sundown, but weather and traffic delayed me and I arrived at Radio
Oakley just in time, only to learn that the band had been hopping for an hour
and a half already. Then there were some Flex configuration issues that required
a reboot. Finally got up and running and had a first hour that felt like a
one-band CWT (albeit somewhat QRS).
The best 60 minute rate was 100/hour from 0057 to 0156
The best 30 minute rate was 108/hour from 0127 to 0156
The best 10 minute rate was 132/hour from 0137 to 0146
Then it settled into rates of roughly 60 an hour until 0700z, then to 40 for the
rest of the night. Best bumper crop of JAs was quite late on the first night...
around 1200z, maybe because there was so little else happening that I finally
CQ'ed for long enough in that direction. (On the second night I worked many more
JAs and much earlier at 0900z. JA total for the contest was 42, up from last
year.) I stuck it out for the sunrise, but it was uneventful. The Q total at the
end of the night was down a bit from last year, but multpliers were up. I
glanced at the on-line contesting web site to see where I stood in relation to
others. The east coast was doing better, as expected, but I was holding my own.
I drove the hour back home, walked the dog, and went to sleep for a few hours.
Night #2 - I fired up the remote at 2300z, but band was quite noisy, new
stations were hard to find, and rates were in the single digits for three
exasperating hours, which felt as if whatever I did was wrong. There was no way
I was going to look at the on-line contesting site, at that point! When the
rain let up and QRN abated, rates finally improved to "2nd night
levels," averaging at 36 for four hours, then 20 for four hours. The hour
from 0900-1000 was entirely 5-pointers (working Asia, the one place where we
West-coasters have an advantage.) The one frustration was a DS3 (who will
remain nameless) who called me continuously for the entire hour. I worked him
at least three times, trying to be friendly, saying "QSL TU 73" and so
on, but he just kept calling and calling. I have no idea if his persistence was
causing QRM to JAs who were trying to copy me, but he was causing QRM for me
copying them.
Early Finish - Prior to the contest, I had come up with a plan to sleep for a
few hours on the second night, based on single digits rate from last year. But,
after Asia stopped producing, I decided to call it quits at 1015z. There were
several reasons: 1) first morning's sunrise had been a bust so I wasn't
motivated to get up for the second one 2) I was exhausted 3) I didn't want Ken
to feel like he needed to stay up and turn the antenna 4) I had done better than
I expected and had broken 200K and... did I mention?... I was exhausted!
Great to work many familiar calls, as well as new ones, and get some air time
with my new call sign, with only a few requests for repeats (update your SCP
file boys and girls!)
73,
Dave WD6T (ex-K6DAJ)
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