CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW - 2020
Call: W8LVN
Operator(s): W8LVN
Station: W8LVN
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 16
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 334 State/Prov = 50 Countries = 4 Total Score = 39,528
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
First run of this contest with my own station at a new station.
In the process of building up the station. For NAQP, I had only a 40 meter
dipole about 5 feet off the ground. Just before this contest, we raised
the 40 up about 60 feet, and built a new 80 meter dipole, and raised it
up about 55 feet. Both perform superbly on their designed bands. So for
160, an inverted 'L' is in the planning stage, but on my suburban lot,
I actually have too many trees--some of them about 70 feet high. Detailed
planning is required to thread the horizontal part of the 'L' through
other trees. In the meantime, to rush to get onto the air, I decided
to build a Vanuatu Dipole for 160. But please don't tell Pat.
--
You are probably wondering what is a Vanuatu Dipole. Well, when we went
to YJ0 for the cqww in 2000, we had not planned for a 160 antenna. After
we set up other antennas, I persuaded the team to put up a 160 dipole.
It was barely 6 feet high. As we ran out the final leg of the dipole,
we had just enough wire--only about 2 feet left. And no known source of wire
on
the island.
--
We got on the air, and with some gentle prodding from VE1ZZ on 80 ("Go to
160
at 12:34Z"), closed out the run on 80 (leaving some folks hanging) and
got
to the agreed frequency. But it was 12:36. No John. Finally the next night,
I was there on time, and worked him. This was with 200 watts.
--
We worked a bunch of stations, including K8MFO, who was also using a dipole,
in an inverted 'V' configuration. I had told the N8PD team that if we do
160, someone will buy us a beer at Dayton. Sure enough, Don spotted me
in the flea market and bought me a beer.
--
So my thinking for this contest was that a dipole was better than nothing.
I built it, and for a flashback, had one foot extra wire at the end!
But due to the length of it, I was unable to get it hoisted into the clear
in time.
--
So the contest is about to start, and I have no 160 antenna. Also, TRLOG
and I are having some disagreements, which are ultimately resolved.
I thought that wire in the air was better than not running the contest.
So I load up the 80 meter dipole, and Presto RBN shows me activity.
But this suburban lot has not yet been debugged for noise, and on the FT 1000
MP
the contest would have been unworkable.
try the new K3S. Astonishingly, I am hearing lots of signals over the noise.
Unclear why the FT is so bad. Nonetheless, I run the contest on the 80 meter
dipole, running a little over 100 contacts the first night. On a whim, I bring
in
the lead in to the Vanuatu dipole, laying on the snow, to see if it would
help the receive. Amazingly, it brings uncopyable signals up to readable.
--
No real dx--some XE and zone 8--determination pays off with 344 Qs and
some enjoyable CW.
--
I have heard it said that when you teach an elephant to dance, you don't
ask how well, just marvel that it dances at all. So this is my dancing
elephant contest--loading up an 80 meter dipole to run a 160 contest.
Looking forward to doing it with a much improved setup next time.
--
Thanks for all the Q's!
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