ARRL 160-Meter Contest
Call: K8FC
Operator(s): K8FC
Station: K8FC
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: CO
Operating Time (hrs): 31
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 1165 Sections = 77 Countries = 14 Total Score = 227,318
Club: Grand Mesa Contesters of Colorado
Comments:
Wow, what a weekend. The 160 contests have been my favorite operating events
for years. This years ARRL 160 was no different.
Sections missed: PR NT MB
The conditions for the most part this past weekend were miserable. The
IonoProbe alarm went off Friday night showing a combined Kp index of 5, a bad
omen indeed. No European signals were to be heard the entire weekend with the
exception of ON4UN on Friday night. As usual, the east coast was having a
good run at the European DX. About 0900Z the (propagation) switch was really
turned off. I could hear very few NE stations including NY State as well as
the west coast fell off considerably. The southern paths were loud but that
was it. This combined with NE static from storms added up to totally crummy
conditions.
The second night was much better from a noise standpoint. The DX to the east
was still not there but the band in its entirety was a heck of a lot quieter.
Signals from the south were predominant and I managed a number of XE and other
DX to the SE. Sunday morning was a big improvement for NE propagation as RW0,
HL and 37 JA stations made it into the log. Too bad we couldnâ??t get as many
Pacific and Asian stations as there are Europeans to be QRV for this (contest)
as it would then be truly a competition.
A word or two on the available spectrum. This band is really antenna limited
and maybe 70 to 80 kHz is really usable with any decent signal. As a result
and as you might expect there was a signal every 3 to 500 Hz with absolutely no
gaps. If you do not own a good selective rx that is capable of rejecting the
close in signals it will be extremely tough going. This leads to a lot of
arguments over who was on the frequency and a lot of high blood pressure. You
really need some top notch rx ability in order to hold a frequency and not be
shoved around by the ops with less than optimum receiving capabilities.
I listen with directional receive antennas and I bet I turned that rx switch no
less than a thousand times this weekend. I apologize to the guys who called in
on the off direction as I had to ask for fills all the time after I clicked in
the right antenna.
Lastly, I worked an enormous amount of dupes. I worked them all because that
is my preferred method. But, it makes you wonder if you were confused with
another station the first time around. With me I have been called k8cc a
number of times and might lead to part of the problem although there were way
too many dupes for a small mistake like that. Maybe my signal was that
marginal I have no idea. In any event, work first worry later.
Thanks for all the qsoâ??s this weekend and thanks to the 37 fellow Colorado
ops who gave me a q.
Icom 7800
Alpha 87A
90â?? vertical (80 full size radials)
7 Beverage antennas (N,S,E,W,NE,NW and SE)
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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