CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: AC6DD
Operator(s): AC6DD
Station: AC6DD
Class: Single Op HP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 28
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 711 State/Prov = 57 Countries = 41 Total Score = 261,464
Club: Slovenia Contest Club
Comments:
Equipment:
FT1000MP, ACOM2000
Inverted L (approx 60' vertical section, rest sloping)
RX 4 square (second night)
The plan:
Operate the CQ160 contest from the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, using a trailer
mounted tilt-up vertical, set up on the waters edge for transmiting, and a rx 4
square located 1000' away for receive. Have the station completely set up at
the site office on Thursday, and show up on Friday to flip the switch to
operate.
The reality on Contest day:
It is early Friday morning after a sleeples night involving two little ones. I
am still welding on the trailer antenna supports in my driveway, with light
rain falling, getting a nip here and there from the welder, and the weather is
getting worse. It's been stormy all week long, and I have not been able to get
much done in getting prepared. I check the NOOA site which forecasts 30-40 knot
winds, with 50 knot gusts, and a few inches of rain at the contest site. It
looks bad. I drive out there anyway, I figure I can always turn around and go
back home.
At the site there is no way to erect my vertical antenna, in fact I get worried
the wind will blow my trailer away. At 12:30 local time, 3.5 hours before the
Contest starts I am still sitting in my truck thinking that after not doing
much for the ARRL test and SP, this 160 contest season was just not meant to
be.
>From here on it is a long story involving some questionable decisions,
equipment problems, and the worst weather I ever experienced in doing a
portable contest. I am writing this from home, where I have been drinking hot
soup for two days trying to recuperate. On Sunday morning after I turned off
the station I was certain I will get a pneumonia, and promised myself that will
never attempt anything like this again. That turned out to be short lived, as
after I caught a couple hours of sleep I already made arrangements with the
site manager for next time.
I am not going to get long winded here, but if someone is in a reading mode and
wants to see some pictures please go here:
www.ac6dd.com/Portable/2008_cq_160_cw.htm
The band conditions to Europe were superb, and one can only think "what if "
the weather was different and was able to do a good setup. I was a bit
dissapointed in the JA total. My highest ever was 134 worked, and did not even
come close to that number, working some 50 less. But the country total is
something I did not even think was possible from here.
COUNTRIES WORKED:
9A, CT, EI, G, OZ, EA, I, SP, OM, 4O, ON, DL, HA, CT3, CN, CE, HR, KP2, P4, TI,
FM, KP4, PY, CU, CX, XE, V3, HK, ZF, C6, KH6, KL, VP9, ZL, VK, BV, HL, UA9, JA,
KH2
DX STATIONS CALLING CQ WHICH WERE HEARD VERY WELL BUT I COULD NOT GET THEIR
ATTENTION:
DL8SCG
DL3ARM
IK1YDB
9A2AJ 1813.80
9A7A 18.10
DL1AUZ 21.10
RU0A 15.48
*! 9N7JO 40.00 Big signal, only working Asia. I called him many many times,
I heard no US calling him at all.
* B1Z 22.70
* SM0MDG 20.52
*! S59A
*! YU1LA 25.16 Steady signal for hours, I called many times, no RX.
OR2T 30.30
SK7DX 30.83
HG3DX Would not make a QSO, kept telling me QSO B4. I worked
HG8DX earlier. I am not sure what the story is here. Maybe worked two HG*DX
in one shot?
IK4MGP 31.60
OM7M 32.33
S51TA 34.50 Big signal for a short time at our sunset, and big pile,
only working strong east coast callers.
DR1A 34.52 Good steady signal on both days, I called many times in
vain, got a few AGN, but that was it.
*! UA2FW 73.90 Weak, but steady for a while
* GW3JXN 45.08
* 3W3W 13.00, 16.00 Auto CQ with 1 second listening time, called many many
times. By the time I can get "A" sent he CQ's again. Many calling for nothing,
never heard him working a US station. I also heard N6RO calling him in vain.
Last year N6RO, K6NA and I were able to work him from the USA. I doubt he
worked any USA this year.
UA9UZZ Good signal both days
DS4EOI 24.00 Good signal
UA9PC 30.20 Good signal both days
This is what I can read from my notes.
* Would have been a new Multiplier
! Would have been a new one on 160
73, Niko - AC6DD
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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