CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: W0AH
Operator(s):
Station:
Class: SO LP
QTH: CO
Operating Time (hrs):
QSOs: 106 States/Provinces: 36 Countries: 1 Score: 7,955
Comments:
Loooong!
Winning isn't every thing. It's the only thing. With that attitude and as a
former top 10 finisher in the Maine QSO Party, out-of-state, LP, straight key
category, I began my quest. From that QSO Party, I know the excitement, the
rush, not to mention- envy of my peers, and, how should I phrase it, the
understated admiration of family and family pets.
With a history of contesting and 160M challenges- my first challenge was to
check in to the Gray Hair Net in 1956- I bought a 2001 calendar months ago and
circled January 27/28 with a red magic marker. As former boy scout (and
sometime buyer of girl scout cookies) I know the value of preparation so I bet
you're not surprised that I subscribed to CQ Contest, read all the of K1AR's
"Contest Tips" dating back to 1981, and joined Bally's Health Club to increase
my strength for the challege that lay ahead. With my wife's help I also
remembered to take my Ginko Bilboba daily so that I could remember those calls
long enough to write them in the log.
Yes, I was motivated. My specific preparation began in December with the
1946 edition of the Radio Amateur's Handbook and the 1961 edition of the left
coast Handbook (we miss you Bill Orr. By early January I had built a PS with an
80 rectifier and a 6AQ5 single toob transmitter. I began to work on my Q-rate.
With coils wound and crystals for 40M, 80M, and 160M I made several contacts,
some with only 10 minutes of CQing. The competitive juices were flowing!
The next week, I built a 6L6 transmitter with 10 watts out, over twice the
power. I made a contact with only 5 minutes of CQing. I was getting psyched
and put up some signs above my operating position (I actually memorized them
from the K1AR Contest Tips so I know the Ginko was working): "You can't work
them if you can't hear them," and "No pain, no gain." Every night I put on my
uncomfortable WWII headphones and listened on the 1947 HQ-129X. After only a
week, I could accept the pain of the earphones and the receiver hum for up to
10 minutes. I felt I was on my way, but- to be very technical- sports'
psychologists call it plateauing- I couldn't get past 10 minutes the second
week. I put up two new signs, "Always have a plan B" and "Learn from your
mistakes." Yes, these were indeed from the K1AR tips! I also hooked up my big
Hammurlund speaker.
Advancing beyond the follow-the-dots transmitter construction acticles, I
actually managed to recap and reallign an old 1947 Hallicrafters HT-18
VFO/exciter. This was a breakthrough. With a little less power than my 6AQ5,
actually 2-3 watts, I could sometimes make contacts with a single call by
getting on frequency. With the potential for that sort of Q-rate, I decided to
double my daily dose of Ginko Balboa or whatever its called.
I put up a new sign, yep, one of those contest hints, "Practice, practice,
practice." And you know what? I did it. I entered the Michigan QRP Contest
with the HT-18 the weekend before the 160M contest. I hope you won't consider
me immodest in claiming that I might possibly have had the highest score in my
grid, DM78lx.
Well unfortuately, the HT-18 VFO doesn't have 160M. It has 11 meters. Hmmm.
But it was Tuesday before contest weekend. After two months of pumping iron at
Bally's, I was mentally ready for the big test. I hiked a hundred meters to
the shed out in the back and returned with the 30 lb. RF deck of a push-pull
809 transmitter that had a gigantic 1809 crystal in the crystal socket and all
the filament transformers. Returning to the shed, I carried the 50 lb. plus
power supply (816 mercury vapor rectifiers and seven VR tubes) back to the
shack. While recuperating in bed, I reminisced about the old friend that had
given me that old 809 rig and P.S. years ago, and his assurance that it might
work.
The next morning I felt strong enough to trace the schematic of the big toob
transmitter. That was lucky, because I found that the B- return was from the
unwired ground lug on the RF deck to the ground lug on the PS. Ouch. I made
some minor repairs, added a B- return to the cabling, and brought her up slow
to reform the caps. Hours later, with all the toobs aglowing, I still couldn't
get the 1809 crystal to oscillate. No 809 plate current. With the power of
knowledge after weeks of studying the old Handbooks I immediately concluded
that something wasn't working. I also checked the grid bias and found it was
minus 245 volts, attached to a string of VR tubes. Attaching it to a single
VR-90 at minus 90 volts, voila, I had plate current and 50 watts out, but not
on 160M. After examining the four transmitter plug in coils and consulting the
Handbook, I decided that the OSC coil was for 80M and the others were 40M, the
only band where I had output.
The next day I put up a sign, "When at first you don't succeed, try, try
again." I was getting real good at remembering these contest hints. Could I
rewind all the coils for 160M? Maybe. After only an hour of looking, I found
a Heathkit grid dip meter in the garage. Bonus. I also found a Gonset II, the
gray paint, some wire cutters, and a red VW GTI that I had been looking for.
Unfortuately, I didn't find the coils for the grid dip meter.
The next day I searched in the crawl space of our basement and found many
things including another Heathkit grid dip meter, but no coils.
Bonus. I found an old 1950 Lysco transmitter. I looked at the signs on my
wall. It was the penultimate day; it was time for plan B. I decided to do
something I had never done before, clear out my work bench in the garage so I
could store the 809 rig and PS there. After an hour of putting stuff in boxes
(hey, there's the grid dip meter coils) I had room for the PP 809 rig and PS
there and room for the Lysco transmitter at my operating position.
Friday, only a few hours before the contest started, I looked loveingly at the
old Lysco transmitter with its big VFO dial which included 160M. It wouldn't
fail me, would it. I wouldn't have to operate rockbound on 1809. I knew I'd be
ready for the big one. Don't think it hadn't occured to me, that many would be
jealous of my PP 809's and 1809 frequency and ask me to QSY. The internal
dialogue went something like this, "QSL you lid. I've been here all night."
But I only have one crystal." "You pig farmer..." Now, negativity is not a
good thing when you're trying to win a contest- sorry, I can't remember the
exact words from the contest tips.
I didn't have enough time (or parts) to replace the Lysco caps, but I brought
her up slowly to reform the caps. The contest started in an hour and I had
those pre-contest butterflies. With only 5 minutes remaining she was on 120
volts AC and putting out about 30 watts- on just about every band except 160M.
Nada. Not even with the 1809 crystal. As the contest started, I peeked inside
the cabinet for the first time. Besides dead spiders and flies, i noticed that
the tank coil had been tapped and retapped in a dozen different places. It was
time to use the grid dip meter with those coils I found!
Oh my god, I smelt smoke. The Lysco rectifier was cherry red. One of the caps
had shorted out. I need two 650V 20MMF caps quick. Denver's only two hours
away. I was a wee bit depressed and refused to turn on the HQ-129X and listen
to the contest.
The next morning I realized how lucky I actually was to have had so many
opportunities to learn from mistakes, so many plan B's. Yes I could rebuild
the 6L6 toop transmitter and operate the second night of the contest, on 1809.
But the last day or two I had also been glancing over at my 1954 Multi-Elmac
AF67 transmitter. I had planned to operate using 1940's equipment, but...
You know, in recent contests I had used my laptop soundboard for CW, RTTY, and
SSB, not even needing a mic or key to operate the entire contest. I had set my
sights on opporating 1940's style. Well, 1954 was old enough, but I hadn't
used the AF-67 in over a year and never on CW. Did the 22 1/2 volt pias
battery still have enough potential?
I read the AF-67 manual, checked the battery voltage which was OK, and fired up
the rig. Twenty-five watts out on 160M; the VFO works; darkness and the
contest arrives in an hour. Should I use the straight WWII straight key or the
1946 bug. I'm terrible on the bug and always get bit with the almost 200 volts
on the key line (cathode keying) when I use it. Can't find the straight key.
I turn the bug on its side to use it as a straight key. I get the paper log
and the paper dupe sheets.
It's dark. I call my first station. About 15 minutes later I find that I need
to listen on the high side on the HQ-129X and then zero in near the low side on
the AF-67. It takes a bit of getting used to, but finally I call a station who
comes back with 599! And only asks for one repeat! Soon I'm working stations
every minute or two and using fast break in. My transmitter is connecyted to
the 160M vertical, my receiver to the 80M vertical. My wife comes down to the
shack to ask what that terrible noise is. "Oh, it when I transmit and the
receiver overloads," I say with enthusiasm. I work as far east as NJ.
But within 40 minutes, all the qrm with little selectivity and signals on both
sides of zero beat, squeals from the receiver, and decibel overload when I
transmit... it's too much. I go upstairs to get an aspirin and take a break.
I return to the excitement and here several Carribean stations in the DX
window, hard to find on the HQ-129X which has no bandspread on 160- the whole
bands in about 1 1/2 inches on the dial. Oh yes, the dial is analog! After
much calling, I work VP5F! What a rush!
Hours of operating and several breaks later, I feel like I've been up all
night, and its only midnight. I go to bed, elated with my 35 states and 106
contacts.
Now, the important contest results. In the highly competitive OT category
(operator age+ receiver age+ transmitter age) x # contacts (60+53+47) X 106
I claim to be the southern Colorado winner of the low, low power class of 25
watts and under.
I'm terribly disappointed there's no low power class in the important Heavy
Duty category (operator's weight+ receiver weight+transmitter weight). I know
some of you thiink there's already enough contest categories, but I think it
stinks that I have to compete against high power stations and those who weigh
over 180 lbs.
Just maybe I'll rewind those coils, modify the HT-18 for 160M, replace even
more of those HQ-129X paper caps to eliminate headphone hum, gain weight
(muscle!)with those Bally Health Club protein drinks, and sponsor a low power
division of the Heavy Duty Category next year because I know I'm a winner!
In one category, though, I was the winner this year. No one had more fun and
frustration planning, preparingfor, and operating this years's contest. If you
had even 1/10th the fun I had, then you're a winner, too.
Doug W0AH Woodland Park CO (sorry no time to proof read the above)
PS In the coming years as I get closer to riormortis, I plan to study solid
state and operate in that category, too.
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