ARRL DX Contest, CW
Call: ZL6QH
Operator(s): ZL1AZE, ZL2BSJ, ZL1CT
Station: ZL6QH
Class: M/M LP
QTH: Wellington, N.Z.
Operating Time (hrs): 19
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 2 2
80: 186 43
40: 555 53
20: 84 33
15: 180 43
10: 466 53
-------------------
Total: 1473 227 Total Score = 1,003,113
Club:
Comments:
The summer weather here has been unseasonably bad, and after a storm last week,
fallen trees had blocked the access road to the ZL6QH site, which is 12 miles
West of the city of Wellington, at the south end of the North Island of New
Zealand. Over the ARRL CW 2004 weekend the ZL6QH site was again battered by
winds of over 100 mph ? it was impossible to stand up at the base of the 42m
tower which is on a ridge overlooking the Cook Strait. Those of you who have not
visited www.zl6qh.com might not be aware that almost all of the ZL6QH antennas
(except for 2 lightweight aluminium yagis for 10m which are supported from
wires) are supported by 60 foot high guyed wooden poles (dating from the 1940?s)
and are wire V-beams and rhombics. Originally this very large site had 4 rhombic
and 13 Vee antennas, and a full-time rigging crew was employed to keep all these
antennas functional. It is unlikely that any conventional yagi antenna would
survive the weather conditions at ZL6QH.
During ARRL CW 2004, the extreme winds damaged 3 antennas, and blew down a power
pole about 7 miles from the site, leaving us without AC power for about 12
hours. We powered up a generator to keep one station running, but it was not
much fun being there in the dark and cold ? we eventually went QRT long enough
to microwave a hot meal which boosted morale ! After the contest we had to drive
(quickly!) under a very large tree which had fallen across the access road, but
luckily had wedged on another tree about 15 feet above the road.
Conditions were best described as ?patchy? ? some good pile-ups on 40m and 10m
especially, but 20m never really got going. Conditions on 160m were poor. We
enjoyed the contest despite the difficulties, and ZL6QH should be QRV in ARRL
SSB 2004 and other upcoming contests.
73
Brian ZL1AZE, Wilbert ZL2BSJ, Chris ZL1CT
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
---------------------------------------------------------------
The world's top contesters battle it out in Finland!
THE OFFICIAL FILM of WRTC 2002 now on professional DVD and VHS!
http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~jamesb/
---------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|