CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW
Call: KT8K
Operator(s): KT8K
Station: KT8K
Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: EN82ch
Operating Time (hrs): 28:43
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 0 0 0
80: 15 7 10
40: 175 19 52
20: 159 18 58
15: 170 22 67
10: 104 18 52
------------------------------
Total: 623 84 239 Total Score = 567,188
Club: Mad River Radio Club
Comments:
Wow! I'm headin' for the jacuzzi after that one - I am sore! These marathon
contests are tough but fun. Thanks to everyone who listened hard for my tiny
signal - I couldn't have achieved this personal best-performance without you.
Equipment is still:
- Tentec Orion turned down to 5 Watts with N1MM driving it and the old MFJ
Grandmaster memory keyer for backup (w 1980's Bencher paddles),
- 20/40/80m inverted vee at 45 feet (a "W" really, it sags a lot to
allow for tree movement),
- an old Cushcraft A3 driven element for 10/15/20m hung vertically about 50
feet up in the trees, but I think it has lost a connection and the loop had to
do the work on 10 and often 15m most of the time - time to take it down for
inspection, just when the weather has gone below freezing and snow has arrived
of course,
- a 500 foot horizontal (ha ha) loop zigging and zagging up and down through
the trees from 15 feet to about 70 feet (mostly 15 feet) fed by an old LDG Z-11
QRP autotuner, and
- a K9AY loop pointed mostly North (but I hardly used it - why hear more people
who can't hear me?).
- Also a lava lamp behind the laptop - my "secret weapon" - why mess
around?
So let's see, what stands out in my foggy brain, besides the fantastic
propagation (which was probably the best I've ever experienced)? There was the
guy in zone 36 who seemed to NEVER give his callsign in the early hours - as a
QRP-er I've got a LOT of patience but I eventually just had to move on.
Pileups were so heavy and mashed together on 20m around 200Z Saturday that I
couldn't figure out who anyone was calling. 1650Z Saturday the back scatter on
15m was so strong the echoes often made strong signals unintelligible, but there
were very few weak signals - they were all strong. I actually got a run going
on 15m in spite of the echoes .. until N8UM chased me off, but he probably
didn't hear my puny signal. There was a great selection of DX stations - my
country total has certainly been enhanced. And I had a couple of runs in the
last couple of hours that were great, but for a while at the end every 3rd
caller was a state-side zero-pointer - I hope I was giving them a multiplier.
Propagation was phenomenal again - more than 90% of my calls were heard the
first try. So it was big fun and I got less burned out than usual, though
family stuff took me away Friday night and Sat. AM for a bit. I missed a
couple of what would have been very productive hours ... but so it goes.
Still - I amazed myself thoroughly. I hope I'll be able to make a new personal
best next year, but propagation and the solar cycle may make that impossible.
What could I do with some _big_ antennas (that are Directional!)?
And then there's always that remote possibility that I'll get that big tower I
dream about ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNWZjzrzgwA Thanks for watching
and enjoying my video/song. I got some very nice comments and compliments on it
during SweepSteaks phone last weekend - that really lights up my day (week,
month, decade).
I look forward to seeing you all in the next big contest. I don't know if I'll
be in the 10m test, but I'd like to (hope this great propagation stays for that)
- otherwise it might be next year for me. 73 to all and best reception to all
de kt8k - Tim.
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