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[3830] ARRL 160 K1LT SO Unlimited HP

To: 3830@contesting.com, vkean@k1lt.com, mrrc@groups.io
Subject: [3830] ARRL 160 K1LT SO Unlimited HP
From: webform@b4h.net
Reply-to: vkean@k1lt.com, mrrc@groups.io
Date: Sun, 05 Dec 2021 20:00:17 +0000
List-post: <mailto:3830@contesting.com>
                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest - 2021

Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Ohio EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 27
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1341  Sections = 82  Countries = 36  Total Score = 345,858

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Last year I made my second best score ever (magic year 2009 was
better) while this year I just achieved my second worst score ever.
While reviewing last year's results, the rediscovery of my log
submission error was quite disheartening.  Other than "my heart wasn't
in it" excuse, I don't have a good explanation for my poor
performance.

About a week ago I noticed that one of the buried feedlines to the
main phased array had failed.  A TDR sweep from the shack showed the
fault to be in a relatively inaccessible location.  I deployed a
temporary replacement feedline but I didn't have time to calibrate the
electrical length.

The first evening went sufficiently well that I thought everything was
great until I noticed that I was 200 QSOs behind 2020.  Well, 2020
probably got a big pandemic lock down boost, so no matter!  Saturday
night will be great!

During that first evening I noticed that the micro-arcing problem I
observed last year got worse and did not go away with reduced power.
The noise from the arcing made full duplex operation much less
effective, but there was plenty to do to keep up with the flow of
spots.

I finally worked the loud LU8DPM on the third attempt.  He seemed to
have noise issues the first 2 times, not to mention the unruly pileup.
I must have gotten to CX2DK before the unruly pileup.

Chased spots for KL7SB several times but I never heard a trace of his
signal.

I stayed up all night by making myself comfortable in the recliner.
However, I didn't doze very much, if any.  I wonder if dozing a little
helps.

Just before sunrise I was rewarded with a short JA run which hasn't
happened in a long time.  I worked JA3YBK and 2 others with easy
signals in a row and then no others.

During the day Saturday I removed and reinstalled the hardline
connector at the transmit antenna feedpoint.  I burnished the center
conductor with my fingernail since I could not quickly find an
appropriate polishing tool.  This fix seemed to improve the
micro-arcing problem.  I also noticed that the NE quarter of the
radial field had become disconnected so I soldered that back together.
I have been deferring transmit antenna maintenance because I have
plans to replace everything.

Shortly after sunset Saturday, the QRN from lightning in the Atlantic
Ocean became quite evident.  Even though the noise was not as bad as
typical Summer Stew QRN, the effects were very debilitating.  Perhaps
most winter 160 ops are not aware of the tactics for making QSOs
through noise (many, many repeats, adjusting speed as appropriate:
either faster or slower).  Also, without a lot of DX, the rates became
painfully slow and I found numerous excuses to visit the kitchen and
elsewhere.  Being tired from the first night didn't help.

By 0700Z I was particularly bored and tired so I napped for 4 hours.
The Sunday morning rate was reasonable but there was no DX.

I did not notice any difference in transmit antenna performance after
reconnecting the missing quadrant of radials.

I think the lesson here is that the year following a particularly good
year will frequently feel worse by comparison.  Also a more positive
attitude will probably help.  Hopefully 2022 will offer a chance for
improvement.

DX worked: 9A (3), C6, CM (2), CT3, CX, DL (14), E7 (2), EA, EA8, EI,
EU, F (5), FM, G (9), GM (2), GU, GW, HA (3), HI, I (3), JA (3), LU,
LZ (2), OK (3), OM (2), ON (5), OZ, PA (2), PJ2, S5, SP (3), TI, UR,
V3, XE, and ZF for a total of 36 entities.

1258 2 point QSOs (82 VEs)
83 5 point QSOs

Some history of K1LT raw scores:

    Year   DX   K/VE  Total  K/VE   DX   Total    First
          QSOs  QSOs   QSOs  Mult  Mult  Score    Eu DX
    2007   101  1452   1553   78    48   429534   
    2008   119  1350   1469   77    42   392105   2207Z
    2009   238  1447   1685   78    51   526836   2201Z
    2010   185  1419   1604   77    51   481664   2207Z
    2011    65  1288   1353   77    30   310407   2323Z   
    2012    87  1388   1475   81    36   375687   2213Z
    2013   117  1378   1495   82    32   380874   2221Z
    2014    67  1359   1417   79    23   309570   2223Z
    2015    94  1394   1488   80    33   368154   2214Z
    2016    93  1435   1528   83    44   423545   2206Z
    2017   141  1323   1464   81    41   408822   2210Z
    2018   186  1254   1440   79    46   429750   2203Z
    2019   110  1179   1289   81    39   348960   2222Z (quit early)
    2020    94  1544   1638   83    34   416286   2205Z
    2021    83  1258   1341   82    36   345858   2241Z

This annual analysis suggests that the number of US stations is
roughly constant while the amount of DX participation varies a lot.

Equipment: K3S, P3, Alpha.  K3 and P3 as the 2nd VFO.  61-foot
(formerly 66-foot) "Tee" top vertical over 75 or fewer radials.  2x4
BS-EF phased array and receiver contraption and another 2x3 BS-EF
contraption.  6 2-wire Beverages ranging from 500 to 900 feet, some of
which even work but few were used.  I use the 150 degree Beverage to
watch for signals on the P3 from the south that the phased arrays
often miss.  For spotting: NE Beverage combined out-of-phase with a
sample of my transmit signal.  Also the Eu Beverage did not seem to
hear as much QRN as did the phased array.

New Phased Array Antenna Update: last spring I discovered that the
Zedboard does not have enough computing power to allow 2 SDR receivers
to run simultaneously, even when running the beam-steering in
hardware.  So I bought an UltraZed board which has much more computing
power, more memory, more FPGA space, more PMOD ports, a working video
output, and other stuff.  I did not make much progress moving my
project since then, but in the past couple of weeks I have the
separate pieces all working again.  Now to just finish integrating the
software and new board and to put the whole mess in a box.  No more
predictions about when it will be ready.


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