[3830] CQ160 SSB N7GP(N5IA) SO HP

[miltj at aepnet.com]

                     CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB
                    
Call: N7GP
Operator(s): N5IA
Station: N7GP

Class: SO HP
QTH: AZ
Operating Time (hrs): 26
Radios: SO2R

QSOs: 509  States/Provinces: 52  Countries: 7  Score: 65,608

Comments:

First of all, my apologies to all the stations that I could not hear well 
enough to copy or could not hear at all.  Up front, I have to say that I have 
not experienced such horrendous conditions for a contest two nights in a row.

Friday evening started off very well.  The 0100, 0200 & 0300 hours yielded 
rates of 45, 61 & 54.  Some Carribean, South American and Central American 
stations were logged.

Then it all went you know where in a hand basket.  With the center of the storm 
system sitting about 800 miles ENE of here, directly in line to the eastern US, 
the RX antennas were delivering a continuous 9+10 dB roar of lightning crash 
noise.

At 0600 the Q rate was 3 per hour.  I went to sleep it off, hoping it was a bad 
dream.  Got back up at 1100 and there was no change.  So much for wishes.  The 
QRN did not subside until sunrise.  Total first night Qs: 302.

The 2nd night was more of the same until after midnight local.  The QRN started 
subsiding shortly after 0700 but by then most of the casual operators and many 
of the hard core operators had given up.  Fourteen hours of operation yielded 
only four hours with rates above 20 Qs per hour; 2 hours of 23/ and 2 hours of 
21/.  Three hours ran only 6/.  And this is CQing with the run radio while 
S&Ping with the 2nd radio.  2nd night total Qs = 207

The final stats are listed above and here are some of the break down stats.

Who did I work?  The great majority of the Qs came from west of the Pecos.  My 
good friends in California contributed a full 20% of the total.  Thanks!!  The 
Utah Contest group are to be congratulated for their efforts to get stations on 
the air.  I can remember when THREE stations from Utah in a 160 contest was a 
real big turnout.  The same for NV and ID.

CA - 100                CO - 25                   OR - 15           ID - 10
AZ - 46                 WA - 21                   UT - 17
TX - 32                 NM - 15                   NV - 11

Only four states east of the Mississippi reached double digit Q counts.

OH - 20                 IL - 19                   MN - 13           FL - 12

Where were the MI, GA and NC stations?  I did not log MI until 0945 the 2nd 
night and in the end had only eight in the log.  I missed VT, RI and DC from 
the east and KH6 from the west.  Where were you Jack?

AL7R finally made it out of the oval and into the log at 1324 Z.  Signals were 
water weak, in and out.  The only stations I heard get quick responses were the 
far west coast and the Pacific Northwest.

The Canadian contingent checked in with 13 Qs from VE2 to VE7.  Mis amigos y 
colegas from south of the border in XE land contributed 9 Qs.  Best DX was P4 
and YV, both of whom called in early the 1st evening.

Thanks again to all the staions I worked, and my apologies to those whom I 
couldn't copy or hear at all.  It can only get better over the next 4-5 years.
I hope to hear everyone next season.  73 for de Milt, N5IA at N7GP




Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/


--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/3830
Submissions:              3830 at contesting.com
Administrative requests:  3830-REQUEST at contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-3830 at contesting.com