[3830] ARRL 160 W0AH Single Op HP

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Mon Dec 6 11:52:36 EST 2004


                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: W0AH
Operator(s): W0AH
Station: W0AH

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: CO
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1033  Sections = 79  Countries = 9  Total Score = 186,296

Club: Grand Mesa Contesters of Colorado

Comments:

Ohh, one of those best of times, worst of times sagas, a la Dickens.  My 160M
setup had been working really well this autumn (worked 12 Russians and
innumerable eastern Europeans back in October) so I decided to work SOHP for the
first time ever from here and make a real attempt to stay up all night both
nights.  The first night fulfilled my expectations.  By 1PM I had worked 79 ARRL
sections (never heard NT) and had well over 700 contacts when I quit arount 7:30
AM local.  I thought it might be possible to make the top 10 SOHP, something
rarely if ever done from this part of the country. The second night was awful. 
My NW beverage became very noisy probably from a neighbors electric fense that
became ungrounded.  Then a very loud jammer got on my frequency continuously for
almost an hour and sent, usually at about 5 WPM, that I had key clicks.  If
others noted that, I would like to hear about it.  He never would identify
himself.  Made 3 contacts that hour. Read Chuck, K0RF's 3830 report, and you
will see that exactly the same thing happened to him.  When the jammer finally
moved on, my Ten Tec amp became intermittant, quitting around midnight with an
infinite input SWR (any ideas on what is happening?)which completely shut down
my TS-850.  I made a few contacts low power, but I was really discouraged. 
About that same time, my NE beverage- my main receiving antenna- quit
completely.  I went to bed very discouraged having only added a couple hundred
more contacts. First light showed the several elk camped under the NE beverage. 
Where it sags to 6', their antlers had broken the beverage.  My amp worked in
the morning, but with the NW beverage real noisy, I could barely here the JA's. 
A few minutes ago, I checked the contest spots which confirm that I was really
getting out well the first night.  I had many more spots (12)than my CO HP
buddies K0RF (9), W0GG (5), and K8FC (2).  Three of my spots were DX including
New Zealand and Phillipines that I never heard.  As for Europe, we were
certainly in the black hole.  AZ (so close to here!)and southern CA had a great
European opening, I read, and, of course, the east coast can always work some of
the Europeans.  Congratulations to K0RF on his new 4-square, W0GG (just 8 miles
away) on his very successful ballon supported antenna, and especially K8FC (40
miles from here) who was called by and worked JT1CO Sunday morning!  WOW!  This
will probably be my last ARRL 160M test from here (we're going to try and sell
the house and antenna farm)and possibly my last attempt to stay up all night two
nights in a row.  Two bad it didn't work out better.  It sure was good to hear
the good stateside conditions and all the activity (except for all the domestic
activity in the DX window-  grrr).  Really enjoyed the short chats with many
friends around the country.
Doug W0AH


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