[3830] ARRL 160 K8CC(K8BB) Single Op HP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: K8CC
Operator(s): K8BB
Station: K8CC

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: MI
Operating Time (hrs): 33

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1379  Sections = 76  Countries = 12  Total Score = 246,136

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Second time operating this contest. First time was last year as guest-op at
W8MJ. Thanks to Ken and Dave for encouraging me to do this one solo again ... 

Friday began at 5:00am for school, as usual. I may need to look into taking
Friday off if I pursue this trend of operating this contest as single-op. Last
year, early Saturday morning my mind and body took over for my ambition and
demanded that I sleep IMMEDIATELY. So I laid down from 10Z-11Z and was back in
the chair before sunrise. This year I was able to postpone this unfortunate
force of nature until Sunday, but it was about the same scenario and about the
same time.

In spite of the MAJOR QRN from the storms, compounded with having to use the TX
antenna for a while, the early rates turned out OK. The first eight hours were
76, 86, 86, 90, 88, 91, 87, and 73. However, Friday night I worked *no* Europe
... and not for want of trying! It just didn't seem to be there. I went to bed
Saturday morning with 935 QSOs and a score well ahead of last year. Saturday
night I was rested, showered, and ready ... but only worked DL, ES, F, G, GI,
and I. What? That's it?!? I worked some Carribbean stuff (missed PR) and out
west I worked a few KH6's, but no VK/ZL, JA, AK, NT, or anything exotic ...
very disappointing. With more QSOs, but less mults, I ended up with a score
that is only slightly higher than my score from last year, even after a
stronger start. Domestically, I missed AK, MB, NT, and PR.

As usual, I learned a lot:
- after noise-blanker modification, an FT-1000D can be a decent receiver
- sometimes black goes to red and red goes to black
- your amplifier will become untouchable after the blower bearings seize (tip:
keep adding muffin fans until it stops glowing orange)
- individual "coffee bags" (like tea bags) seem to have a finite shelf life
- there are less "CLICKY" stations now that you 'MP users are fixing the darn
things, making the unmodified ones ever-the-more irritating!!

Station:
NA software
FD-1000D (modified)
140' shunt-fed tower
500' Beverages NE, NW, SE (broken), SW
one apparently indestructable ViewStar PT-2500A (2x3-500Z)

73!
Don Chisholm K8BB
Go Mad River!


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