CQ 160 METER CONTEST -- 1999
Call: I4JMY Country: European Italy
Mode: SSB Category: Single Operator
QSO QSO PTS STATES COUNTRIES
Totals 586 3279 27 58 = 278,715
Club Affiliation: MCC
All reports sent were 59(9), unless otherwise noted.
Equipment Description:
RTX : IC781 + PA
TX Antenna: full size & revers. 2el. horizontal wire yagi @180 ft.(East-West)
RX Antenna: remotely switched 800 ft. Beverages: NW,N,S.
General ...
>From southern Europe there are three main gaps on 160, mainly on SSB.
North america is too far for an effective overnight traffic, so very most of
the useful signals are confined in the small (time) "window" of sunrise time.
The path to N.Am. crosses mid and west Eu and the reception is nearly always
affected by an unbelievable qrm. (beverages can't do miracles)
While possible from mid Eu, here, some 500-800 miles south, it's alreday
impossible to hear a cospicuous number of northern Europeans occasional
entrants using "creative" but 0.000001% efficient antennas.
Warning ...
In spite of the above, I won't give up.
About 1999 contest...
The shack is above (yes) the transmitting antenna and this complicates the
use and dictates remote switching (through coax line) of multiple beverage
antennas.
There was a problem in a (nearly inaccessible, of course) junction of the
beverages feed line (350 ft of 1/2" hardline) so I finally ran out of my
time to investigate and to fix this mean failure.
Beeing alone, I realized the best option was not to get too tired trying to
mount anyway all the planned beverages and I chose to sacrfice those heading
south America and Russia.
Although the choice was the wisest to limit murphy strike while saving the
operator performances, I extimate this handicap brought to miss at least
50 qsos and a minimum of 2 mults (YV and PY) so pulling down the final score
of some 30/40 K.
Band conditions and activity weren't sparkling, but a short and great opening
to midwest and down to Arizona (W7MD and N7DD were really loud) area gave a
big thrill to the second morning.
Unluckyly, the big qrm, but mainly the short time, brought me not to work
each of the states I could. A minimum of 3 ones, plus one easy VE province
have been lost for sure.
Compliments and thanks to the US "top band" operators for their ability to be
fully cooperative and speeding up the operations.
Vy 73,
Mauri I4JMY
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