This event started with a desire to just be able to radiate some RF
with an antenna that is intended for use on 160 (Something I have
never been able to do from my own home)!
Built a half wave dipole and strung it in the trees. Average height
is about 30 feet. But most of the antenna is horizontal. 30 feet
high. This is equivalent to a dipole on 20 meters at about 3 feet in
the air.
My first 8 QSOs on the antenna last week before the contest resulted
in WAC!
Started the contest with the unusually high noise levels experienced
all over. Got lots of answers to my CQs and I could hear fairly well
despite the QRN. 1st night DX included 8P, P49, P40, V47, FM5, and
KH6CC. Can't believe these guys can hear me so well. Most of these
signals are S9! 330 QSOs the first night (Quit at 0900Z)
Saturday night was great! Virtually no noise at my location. Only
states needed were LA and SD. Picked both of those up early.
Missing only a KL7 (never heard).
Running worked great until 0200 when my TL922 stops keying. Yes I
was running 1000 Watts (forgot to mention that). Take the covers
off, tap on relay, generally inspect the thing. Nothing. Left the
shack expecting to go to a movie with my wife. But had to try one
more time--at 0220 I turn eveything on and the amp keys again! Must
have overheated the transformer or something. First signal heard is
EA3KU--he is S9!!!! How can this be with this low antenna? One call
and he is in the log.
Then come 9A1A, S58A, PJ5AA, EA8EA, ZF, PJ9, and OZ7YY all "one
call" QSOs.
Decide to call CQ at 0300 and the third station to call-in was
ZS6EZ!!! I was kind of in awe at this point. SM4CAN also calls-in
to my Western Illinois QTH.
Tune around some more and work CT8T, TI1C, DK1NO, OT7T, OH2HE,
GM3YOR, G0, G4, I4, KH6AT, 9A2VR, GW4VEQ, SP7GIQ, OK5W, OM7M, S58MC,
DF9ZP, G3PQA, CT1BOH, F5LQ, Pi4COM. CQ some more and SM4HCM, G4BUO,
G3RBP, and Sn3A call-in! Even found G4VFU/MM1 for the MM mult.
Totally floored by these QSOs by the end of the EU opening I am
contemplating another 30 foot high wire in phase with the 1st one!
Tuned some more at 0830Z. "What's this I hear?" "KH8?" No way.
Yes way, KH8/N5OLS. Real weak, but no one else seemed to hear him.
One call and in the log. Wow.
Went to bed at 1000Z. Didn't stay up for the VK/JA opening.
Probably should have but I needed to be functional on Sunday.
Thoughts: When doing 160 from far better equipped stations I often
find lots of CQers who never hear me. That didn't happen this time.
Everything I heard I worked (except for OX1OM hi). But even stranger
is that some of the guys I worked were barely audible to me and yet
they heard me right away, often over a small pile-up!
My QTH is nearly flat but does slope gently down about 30 feet to the
North before flattening out again. This is farmland. The dipole is
broadside straight north and south.
Final score= 611 QSOs for 1635 points X 91 mults (57 US/VE and 34 DX)
148,785 points. 37 ten pointers! Go figure.
Oh yeah, there was lots of confusion with W9KW who was also quite
active. Kind of fun when he called-in! Also, some guys refuse to
copy what they hear. KW9KW is not a normal call obviously, but "ya
copy what ya hear" and everything's cool. Spent a lot of time
assuring people that they had the call correct.
73, Dave Patton, KW9KW
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