CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: AC6DD
Operator(s): AC6DD
Station: AC6DD
Class: Single Op HP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs):
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 472 State/Prov = 51 Countries = 20 Total Score = 107,352
Club: Slovenia Contest Club
Comments:
Excellent DX conditions, this was easily going to be my best score ever in this
contest.
I was ready, everything was tested and working, no antenna experiments, just
sit down and keep making contacts. The bad part is that I now have a new
horrific noise in the N-E direction. Last week I located it it to be at a Water
treatment plant located a couple of miles away. Hint: S9 + 20 noise spaced 6
KHz or so. VFD's! Even so I was able to work in between the noise most of
the time. We had a storm and it rained most of the night, but the QRM was
manageable, less so the rain noise. I worked 19 DX multipliers on the first
night - good sign. CN2A had an excellent signal on the West Coast for more
than 30 minutes, he was calling CQ for long times with no takers (around 07:30
Z). Excellent signals from JA and the Pacific. Just like many others I was
unable to work BA4RF and BD1Z.
On the second night conditions appeared to be even better. CU2A and EA8EA could
be copied very early. I even heard an IK4 coming back to someone. Many stations
on the band, a lot of them yet unworked. I just wish the VFD noise would go
away. And all of a sudden BAM! - it is gone, the band is packed with stations
and no noise. This is great! I can copy many new stations now. But wait! My
amp is not working, and the UPS is beeping. (Due to previous experiences I now
have a small UPS set up). What happened? I step outside, and everything is
dark - the whole town is dark. I just hope the power comes back soon. I try
to call a few stations with 100W, but only manage a contact with K2NV in NY. I
figure I better save batteries, and only listen until the power comes back. I
scan the band writing down stations to call later - two small pages. Than a
storm hits and it is total wipeout - S9 +20 dB noise across the band. Pretty
soon the UPS goes dead. I am now in the dark in a trailer on a pier in a
storm. Perfect time for a beer and a sandwich, the power should be back any
minute. An hour later still no power. I am freezing, so I decide to get in
the truck and turn on the the heater. Things are getting better by the minute
- the truck keys are locked inside the truck - no spare. By now I am walking
around in the rain to keep warm. No power yet. No telephone, I am stuck here.
After a while I see a car coming. By a lucky coincidence I am able to get out.
It is 23:30 - still no power. On the way home I see a lineman crew working in
the rain. It looks like someone hit a power pole with their car - took out the
whole town and with it my contest weekend. Note: need to buy a generator.
DX multipliers worked: PJ2, CE, VP5, V3, KH6, KP2, XE, EA, CU, CN, EA8, JA, ZL,
T32, HP, KL7, VK, UA9, 3W, KP4
Heard, but not worked: BY, PY, FM
Niko - AC6DD
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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