[3830] ARRL160 VP5K M/S HP

[BruceAA5B at aol.com]

                     ARRL 160-Meter Contest
                    
Call: VP5K
Operator(s): AA5B, K9RS
Station: VP5K

Class: M/S HP
QTH: VP5
Operating Time (hrs): 
 

Summary:
          QSOs  Sections  Countries
Total:     995     76        0      =  150,000

Club/Team: 

Comments:

K9DX is going to join us for the 10 mtr contest, but K9RS 
and I decided to come here early and play in the 160 'test. 

First night: 700 x 75.
Second night: blah!
Missed: NWT, MD, AK, NL.

Score would be 375k if we got the same points for working 
you as you got for working us! Whine, whine...

I think we were plenty loud, judging by the number of 
unsolicited "L O U D" reports, but we had the usual 
problem of hearing well. Storms weren't too bad the first 
night, but were constant starting early Saturday morning 
through Sunday morning. Nearby discharges were bad enough 
to blow the PIN diode switching in the Alpha 87A, so we 
switched to a '78. The Beverage worked well, but it's 
tough to copy a whole call in the half second between 
static crashes. Crashes, S9+10dB. Most signals, S3ish 
on the Beverage. We appreciate everyone's patience. We 
were also off the air for a couple hours on Sunday morning 
because of a power failure.  

The Titanex vertical never made it to the island, so 
we made an inverted L. Vertical section was 40 ft of 
aluminum (half of a linearly loaded rotating 80 mtr 
dipole) plus 20-ft fiberglass fishing pole. Lots of 
radials, and the vertical was about 100 ft from the 
ocean on the north shore of North Caicos (Bud Foster's 
place, usually VP5B).

See you on 10 next weekend. Now, back to snorkelling.

    73,
      Bruce AA5B  and Ray K9RS


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