CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: AA4LR
Operator(s): AA4LR
Station: AA4LR
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: GA
Operating Time (hrs): 5.2
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 301 State/Prov = 44 Countries = 3 Total Score = 30,644
Club: South East Contest Club
Comments:
Antennas:
Shunt-fed 15m tower with 25 60 foot radials
Equipment:
K2/100 w/ KAT100 running 80 watts
Comments:
I had almost written this contest off. At the end of the NAQP Phone,
my shunt matching network was acting up, and I had to quit a couple
of hours early. I had pulled the matching network off the tower about
three times in an attempt to diagnose the problem which was causing
sudden shifts in SWR with the allocation of more than a few watts of
power.
I found part of the problem - the matching coil in the L network was
46 turns on two stacked T200-2 cores. The start and end windings were
right next to each other, and due to the auto-transformer action
caused the insulation to break down. Removing a couple of turns
addressed that. However, I still had problems so was not QRV the
first night. Saturday afternoon, I disconnected the switching relay
and the caps in the box and jumpered in an external variable cap. I
was finally able to tune for a good match that did not shift away
when power was applied. This worked for the few hours I was in the
contest, but it obviously not a permanent solution.
After testing, I was tuning around about 3:15 pm local, and was
surprised to find several stations CQing - even though it was about
three hours until sunset! Worked just about everyone I could hear in
30 minutes.
I returned later about an hour after sunset. After a short S & P
session, I found CQing to be quite productive, despite only running
80 watts into an antenna barely 1/10 wavelength long. I found three
different places to CQ in the band and was able to run at a decent
rate. At one point, the rate meter registered over 190 -- something I
thought I'd never see in any CQ contest.
Did have one wierd altercation with NN3Q that I'm not sure what to
think about. I had tuned up to about 1818 kHz, and after listening,
found the frequency empty. I then put out a QRL? and no one replied.
So, I started to CQ. Worked one station, then hear someone CQing on
top of me. After a minute of this slug-fest, we're clearly both
getting callers that neither of us can hear because of the other
station. So, I found I could move down about 200 Hz to give both of
us a little room - tight, but workable.
And then comes the part I don't understand. He FOLLOWED ME! Zero beat
again, he calls CQ a bit, then calls and works me. After this, he
starts calling CQ again, occasionally sending me AA4LR QSY and doing
some other tricks. This really pissed me off.
As much as I hate to reward this kind of poor operating practice, I
eventually decided to move. Not because I had done anything wrong --
but several minutes had gone by with no contacts at all. I found
another frequency a couple of kHz up.
One thing I noticed was that stations were packed into the band
pretty tight. The K2/100 has narrow filters, so I didn't notice the
guys next to me too much. However, sometimes they'd get callers that
weren't quite zero beat and so I'd answer them, if the timing was
right. I'm sure there are some NIL contacts because of this.
Used the noise-reduction feature of the K2 during the entire contest.
Normally don't like the way this makes signals sound, but it was
helpful to take out some the hash on the band. After a couple of
hours, I got used to it.
Between CQ sessions, I did get some S & P. Worked PJ2, KP4, VP9. Did
not hear any europeans. Ended up with 42 states - all but RI, VT, HI,
AK, AZ, ID, MT, WY. Not bad for five hours of fun.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/
3830score/
Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
|