CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: K8AJS
Operator(s): K8AJS
Station: K8AJS
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: OH
Operating Time (hrs): 15:30
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 466 State/Prov = 53 Countries = 7 Total Score = 63,540
Club:
Comments:
For the last several weeks, I've been fighting with a continuous over-S9 noise
level on Top Band that so far I haven't been able to track down the cause. This
contest, however, has given me a large clue and a direction to look.
On Friday night, the contest had been going for almost an hour when I got home
from work. I got started about 2300Z, already after sunset, and went for much
of the night, fighting with the noise all the way. I turned on the noise
blankers, coped with the IMD, tightened up the filters and worked the loud
stations that I could hear. I finally was falling asleep at the key and went to
bed.
Got up on Saturday morning and started about two hours before sunrise, still
fighting the noise and still working the loud stations I could hear. Calling CQ
wasn't an option; I wouldn't have been able to hear the stations who answered.
To my surprise, sunrise came and the noise disappeared like someone had turned
off a switch. I stuck around for another hour and a half, actually calling CQ
and people were answering.
Saturday night I came back about 2045Z and started, calling stations and
running them until sunset, about 2244Z. BANG! the noise came back and was
continuous. Well, I had enjoyed low noise conditions for too much by then, I
said the heck with it, I'm not going to spend another night fighting this. I
shut the rigs off.
Sunday morning I started at 1100Z, fought the noise for about an hour and 45
minutes until sunrise at 1244Z and POOF! the noise disappeared. I stayed around
and worked stations until 1400Z. Later on Sunday I came back about 2015Z and
operated until 2200Z with no noise.
My totals aren't great, but they're what I could accomplish. I worked a little
DX, but not much. There was a little bit there around sunset and sunrise but
during the noise DX wasn't an option, I couldn't hear it. I apologize to anyone
who called me and I couldn't hear you.
At least I've learned that my noise is on a timer, and when it's on and off. I
don't think it's a photo-sensitive device, the times are too *exact*, right at
published sunrise and sunset times. I have nothing in my house like that, I
haven't seen such a device in my neighborhood, but there's a city park behind
my house with a light that's on all night, and there may be other
possiblilities. I'll find it.
Rigs: FT-1000MP, FT-2000
Antennas: Extended Inverted L, 204-foot G5RV
Software: WriteLog 10.71c
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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