ARRL 160-Meter Contest
Call: W3HKK
Operator(s): W3HKK WA8PGE
Station: W3HKK
Class: M/S HP
QTH: OHIO
Operating Time (hrs): 20.3
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 1026 Sections = 77 Countries = 9 Total Score = 179,568
Club: COOKEN ARC
Comments:
WA8PGE joined the fray this year at the W3HKK station. ( IC-7600, TenTec
Centurion amplifier, qtr wave inverted L with 40 ft vertical and horizontal
leg sloping down to 20 ft., 23 x 67' radials.) A new Array Solutions SAL-30
sits 90% complete but hopes of having it 4ready for this contest were dashed
by extended unusually cold, windy, wet wx. Only one more 4 ft section
remains to be installed at the base before the electrical installation can be
completed.
Software is the latest N1MM+ Logger.
Day 1:
Cndx started surprisingly well from 5pm est thru 8 pm, but seemed to slip on a
slippery slope thereafter. By 1am we were 7 mults short of a clean sweep, but
rates had plummeted from 116/108 rates of the first two hours. Past contests
had shown peaks in the 3rd and 4th hours, but not tonight.
While DX signals were weak and limited ( other than a nice job from Mexico) ,
on the positive side was the overall good number of mults available, even from
the opening bell. Plenty of West Coasters to be had, [plus the Rocky Mtn region
and the Dakotas!)
The steady, at times heavy rain that fell all night brought with it increased
levels of QRM with power line noise up around S5 to S7 which made digging out
the weaker, more distant stations difficult, and forced us to pass up many
callers that were heard but couldnt quite be dug out. (Interestingly, on the
two nights prior to the Test, band operations showed wonderfully low QRM levels
of S2! So that extra 5 S units of buzz undoubtedly cost us rate and DX. DX
worked were a very modest bunch: KP2, PJ2, XE (several) and ZF.
Day 2: Background noise returned to S 1-2 levels so listening was less
fatiguing. Bountiful numbers of 5-6-7 land stations came through even after
sunrise. F-G-GW-I-ON stations were worked ( about 12 in all) with fair signal
levels.
Unfortunately our 2nd OP had to work on Day Two and couldn't participate.
This puts our entry in the 1.5 Op M-S category!
20.3 hours on the air was all we could manage, but the results are personal
bests for the 160m ARRL Contest so it was a resounding success.
PS In a week or so the new SAL-30 RX antenna should be up and operational for
the rest of the 2014-5 High Band season.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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