[3830] ARRL 160 VA7ST Single Op LP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Lake Country, BC
Operating Time (hrs): 11

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 323  Sections = 62  Countries = 0  Total Score = 40,052

Club: 

Comments:

Gear:
*  FT-920 @100W
*  N1MM Logger
*  CW TuneIn software by SP5CFD 
   (for visual CW tuning -- a must have, BTW)
*  160M Inverted-L 80 vertical, 50 horizontal

Laid out a few more random-length radials for this one -- had about 10 in no
particular pattern across the back yard to the west, and into woods to the east.
Also have the radial system tied into chain-link fence at antenna base -- runs
150' on either side of the antenna.

Out of a deck of 80 sections, I was dealt almost the exact same hand as last
year. Missed some I thought would be easier, including SFL, WCF, CT, LA, MS.
Canadian mults missed were MAR, MB, NL, NWT. In SS I couldn't find a VE2 for
anything, but there were plenty on this weekend.

Thanks to NL7Z for AK in the wee hours Sunday morning. 

Last year, I didn't get the Inverted-L in the air till Saturday, and made all my
Qs Saturday evening and early Sunday morning. This year, I reached last year's Q
total on Friday night, and I went to bed after working pretty much all I could
hear (270 Qs or so). 

Conditions Friday night were much better than Saturday night at this QTH in
southern B.C. S-meter comparison: Friday night S-3 ambient noise; Saturday night
S-5 noise. First night east coasters were quite strong and plentiful. On the
second night, I just wasn't hearing the east at all -- not much beyond ON and
MI.

The greatest observation this weekend was the total disappearance of my chronic
powerline noise -- helped me hear down into the mud a lot better in ARRL 160 and
the TARA RTTY Melee (180 Qs there). Don't know if the snow and cold wx (-11C)
has quashed the noise, or if the hydro crews found a fault somewhere and fixed
it last week when they were in the area. Crossing fingers it was the latter, as
the low noise is unbelievably nice for a change. 

Spent Saturday evening and early Sunday morning looking for any new stations I
could hear -- they were few and far between, and mostly CO, WWA, OR and CA
sections. Many long CQs between callers when I wasn't S&P. Sunday morning
(1230z-1500z) was painfully slow -- not sure the extra few hours of lost sleep
were worth it. OK, they were (AK and NE both added to the mult total during the
doldrums).

Looking forward to a four-contest weekend in two weeks -- OK DX RTTY, PSK
DeathMatch, Stew Perry, and RAC Winter. Will likely skip the deathmatch to
"focus" on the other three, hi. I'll be SO1R-3C. 

Thanks for the contacts, everyone.


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