Single op 160 score: 44,823 points (223 Q's and 67 countries)
This was my first contest with omnidirectional 160 transmitting and
receiving antennas since I left Colorado in 1993. Sure is nice
to be able to hear and transmit (equally poorly in all directions!)
After last minute work to get 8 Beverages working correctly, wouldn't
you know that Mother Nature would deliver one of our infamous ice
storms the day before the contest! I spent Friday morning making
repairs in between two heavy storms and was not very optimistic about
the QRN Friday night. Surprisingly, it was not too bad until around
0700 and by then conditions were down anyway. My 180 foot tower (shunt
fed in December primarily to be able to work VK0IR) seems to be about
the same as my previous Delta loop to NE/SW and is definitely a couple
of S-units better to the NW/SE. I was also pleased with an experimental
Beverage toward Europe made of a 1/4 mile roll of aluminum electric
fence wire. This wire is very light and I found I only needed about
5 supports to span the 1320 feet (and it did not stretch too badly
with about .4 inches of radial ice on it!). This sould be fantastic
wire for DXpeditions due to the very light weight.
Friday night was only fair but at least the QRN was not too bad. I
worked my last European around 0700 and then had a very dry spell until
just before sunrise. In spite of CQing and tuning intently, I did not
log a single QSO from 0900-1100...no VK's, no ZL's, nada. We had a
brief JA opening although I heard JA7NI as early as 1100. I worked 6
of them which was all I heard. Sunrise came and I had 131/51 which
was about 80% of my best previous 160 score (1995 from my former NC
location with only 1 Beverage to the Northeast).
Saturday was quieter but I could never seem to get any sort of run going.
I heard K1ZM and the M/M's doing well CQing but I guess there was too
much absorption this far south. I was really frustrated to hear VQ9SS
answering K3LR CQing near my frequency. LR called CQ in his face and
I tried to sneak in and out with no success. I also heard a few other
goodies that got away like VP8CTR and 9U5T. With my last European logged
at 0730, and considering the night before, I decided to sleep from 08-11.
I guess I missed a VK/ZL opening but did catch VK6HD and KH8/N5OLS at my
sunrise. The JA opening was very poor with only JA0MVW logged. Now I
had 219/64 and was not very optimistic about adding much at our brief
sunset (2300) opening prior to the end of the contest at 0000.
While tuning before sunset, I heard EA8ZS answering CQ's and then QSYing.
I tried a few CQ's in the hopes he would answer but no luck. Then I heard
him around 1836 with a humongous pileup. Amazingly, he came back on my
second call so I went back to CQing around 1828 in the hopes that VQ9
would answer. No luck so I tune down the band and hear a fairly strong
station not signing his call. What the heck...I call, he replies and I
give him my 599NC and "CL?". It's V47KP for another mult! Then I go
back to looking for VQ9 and heard a weak CQ...flip the Beverages and it's
YV1NX for my third multiplier! Wow, I can't ever remember getting so
lucky at the end of the contest...final result 223/67 (the extra Q came
from Bernie ZS4TX, the only station to answer my many CQ's). And then,
wouldn't you know it, I hear VQ9QM and three European Russians (none
worked during the test) AFTER the contest! Such is life but it sure
was fun.
73, Bill W4ZV
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