CQ 160 METER CONTEST -- 2001
Call: VA3EU Country: Canada, Ontario
Mode: CW Category: Single Operator QRP
Operated 7 hours.
QSO QSO PTS STATES COUNTRIES
Totals 55 257 23 0 = 5,911
All reports sent were 59(9), unless otherwise noted.
Equipment Description:
IC706 set to 5 Watts output, Antenna: 40 mtrs LW at 6 ft high.
Note: Until the second day of the contest I did not have an antenna for
the
160 m band.
I was listening to VA3RU with a vertical for 40 and he was S5, but no other
stations heard.
It was then, that I decided to make a new antenna. I had a spool of #20
wire, I fastened the
end to the storm door of the kitchen, run the wire across the backyard over
the fence and into
the park behind the backyard until the spool run out of wire. I hung up the
wire to some little
bushes that I found in the park. I thought, it will make a "mini" Beverage
known as a good receiving
antenna. Sure enough, my S meter was hitting S9+15DB on VA3RU's signal. He
is about 20 km from me.
I gave him a call with 5 Watts and got a 449 report. I was in the contest!
It was most amazing. Next
I checked my SWR meter, it was showing infiniti. So I kept the power qrp
(5 Watts), and kept calling
every station that I heard from North America. There was only a few, who
did not answer my call.
I enjoyed very much this QRP operation, and apologize to those who had a
hard time with my very
weak signal. Until now I believed 5 Watts on 160 would be good for a 1 mile
contact. I was wrong
with a factor of 1000, even without having a transmitting antenna. Next
time I will make an antenna
for transmitting too :-).
George Balint VA3EU
geob@interlog.com
59 Snowcrest Ave.
Willowdale, ON M2K 2K9
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