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[3830] K3SV ARRL 160 CW Summary (Long)

To: <3830@contesting.com>
Subject: [3830] K3SV ARRL 160 CW Summary (Long)
From: K3SV@aol.com (K3SV@aol.com)
Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 21:47:47 EST
My first time to write a short summary so, if you get bored, move to the trash
bin.

Just a quick summary of some notes I took during the contest.
The band seemed better last year and this year I figured that
using packet was not worth it and, considering the poor DX conditions
we've been having, I didn't think the extra DX was worth the 
effort. It seemed that the west coast was never going to open on
the second night, almost like there was a curtain somewhere around
the Mississippi River. About 0400z things finally opened to the
west but I was never able to snag SD or AK.

I scrambled on Friday to add another EWE to the west but it 
did not perform as well as the K9AY. The EU beverage was handy
when the few DX that called came through. 

Here's the quick notelog:

2200    Start contest and first answer to CQ finds that the radio
              and computer are not talking and I can't log a thing! Panic.
              Fixed in 5 minutes and back on.
2224    J6A calls and I forget whether I need to get a serial number
              or not. (didn't matter cause he wouldn't give me one, HI)
2300    Find out the west EWE I manufactured that afternoon is not
              working.
0000    Band opens to west and find out that W7CA (Wyo) and I are
              CQing on the same freq. (small war breaks out, I submit and
              move off)
0127    Son-of-a-gun, N6RO starts to appear as the band opens west
              and we're CQing at each other.
0140    Can't hold a run rate, band is weird, go from 90 an hour
              back to 35.
0208    Band opens again to Calif and get a EU call.
0235    Strange north/south EWE is hearing west coast better than
              any of the other receive antennas?
0251    ED1RCW calls, maybe there is hope for some DX.
0400    Rate back to nil.
0440    I don't have Xray vision, and I'm not a weather man, but 
            based on the sudden increase in noise....IT JUST STARTED 
            TO RAIN! (not good)
0500    S9 noise on Xmit antenna, hearing few calls over the rain
              static.
0630    Every year there is one operator that insists on calling 
              CQ right in a spot that wipes out anyone that calls me
              and even if I move, they move with me. I don't pull my hair
              out, not much left anyway.
0700    Appears that rain has stopped, since I am in the basement
              and the family is in bed, I figure no more rain since the
              noise is now back to normal.

I get a 90 minute snooze somewhere in here and hope to wake up to
catch any sunrise activity. This turns out to be no biggie, since
the conditions from my QTH did not offer anything different than 
if I would have just stayed at the radio and picked off the few that
were still awake in the US.

1930(Sat)
        Start day 2
2050    Finally hear a station west of Ohio.
2145    QRN is terrible, summer like conditions, the temp outside
              is 65, and it's December folks.
2230    DX call from "G" land, similar to some of the early, and 
              short, openings to EU right before/after sunset in PA.
0030    Band is back to NIL.
0130    Barely can hear W6's, no 0's or 7's at all.
0200    One call from Utah, nice signal, but nothing else from west.
0230    A call from NM, there is hope.
0300    Almost like there is an RF curtain down the middle of the US.
0400    Colorado answers, and then I pick off a few of the west coast
              type mults that I still need and feel better about a rather
              long night of hearing nothing.
0700    Not much left to work, do some search and pounce and pick up
              a few. It sounds like the smart folks are in bed.
0800    Finally get just over 950 contacts and decide that sleep is
              more important than the few that I could pick up in the next
              hours. Decide to shut down and get some rest for the annual
              Xmas tree hunt and decoration.

All considered, it was a good contest. If conditions were like last
year I think my goal of 1000 contacts would have been achievable. 
Can't have everything though, the other bands are having alot of fun
with the improving conditions. 73 and Merry Christmas de Bill K3SV

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