[3830] TBDC W2GD Multi-Op HP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

Call: W2GD
Operator(s): K2TW, N2OO,  NO2R, W2GD,  W2NO
Station: W2GD

Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: SNJ  -  FM29
Operating Time (hrs): 14

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 593  Total Score = 2,866

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

This was the second event in our winter 160M trilogy at our FD style NJ shore
station.  Two weeks earlier during the ARRL 160 we had our share of visits from
Murphy (only natural, the station is located at the end of Murphy Drive).  We
used the Stew as another shakedown cruise, finding out what works, what doesn't,
and adapting the station configuration on the fly.

Station:  Run Position - IC756ProII, Alpha 99, IC746
          Mult Position - IC781, AL 1200

Antennas:  3 ele Vertical Wire Array NE/SW/Omni at 185' over a salt marsh
           "T" Vertical with 4 elevated radials
           935' beverage to EU
           560' beverages NW, W, SW, S, E
           K9AY loop

During setup we continued to observe some disruptive line noise and have doubts
about the performance of our 2 el phased NE beverage array and the 2 ele
staggered West beverage system.   As it turned out our concerns were justified. 
The NE array in phased configuration was not hearing particularly well and the
West beverage was exhibiting what amounted to an omni pattern.  After listening
for half an hour, we decided to step back and reconfigure these two antennas to
single element arrays.  The  quick changes made all the difference.  Two hours
of line noise 'sniffing' earlier in the afternoon  identified another 4 new hot
spots for the local power company to investigate.  

We had a few decent run hours at the beginning, averaging just over 80 qsos/hour
for the first 3 hours.  Europeans would call in with regularity too, but the
propagation was almost exclusively northern EU, very limited exposure to the
south.  Many loud OK, UA, UR, and G signals.  But everything else just seemed
average at best.  We are still waiting to hear 160 sound like 20M as it did back
in 1996/97.  

Best DX was S9SS ... probably one of just two stations we used our East beverage
for all night.   Conditions to the US west coast were not as good as the ARRL
160 two weeks ago, and this time no KH6, VK, ZL, or JA.  Where was South America
this weekend?  No YV, PY, HK, or LU.  As observed by others, the expected peaks
at local sunrise/sunset just didn't happen for the most part.
Things got very slow after EU sunrise too.....we had many periods in the 'deep
night' where no QSOs were occured for 15 to 20 minutes.  We chose to spend
nearly the entire contest on or near 1812.  Not sure if this was the best
decision but early on the rates were very good there for us.  Our second station
was used to scan the rest of the band and that seemed to work fairly well. 
Overall we had 8 more QSOs than our previous best two years ago but the number
of DX stations worked was down about 10 percent.  Hoping we managed to pull a
sufficient number of QRP and LP out of the mud to make our score competitive.

Thanks again to all that called and looking forward to a great CQ160 CW in
January.

73,
John, W2GD (for the Team)


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