[3830] CQ160 CW N8II Single Op HP

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                    CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW

Call: N8II
Operator(s): N8II
Station: N8II

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: WV
Operating Time (hrs): 12

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 807  State/Prov = 54  Countries = 36  Total Score = 190,710

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Nothing I didn't realize already, but to be serious in this test I
 need to take Friday off from work and try and get used to staying up
 late. I didn't last long Friday evening deciding to take a break about
 0325Z and just sagging into bed after that. Hence, my goose was cooked
 for the weekend. I got off to a great start running 136 Q's in the
 first hour after a very slow first 4 minutes; I was called by VP9I,
 V25G, and PJ2T as well. This was followed by 129 Q's the 2nd hr which
 netted for first 2 hours about 32% of my total for the weekend. F5BBD
 was the only EU to answer a CQ, and I S&P'ed CU2A, OK5W, 9A15DX, and
 IK1. Several Eu were copyable but weren't hearing the USA well thru
 the Eu din.
   Saturday AM, condx to the west were down from normal, the only DX
worked was KH7X who had no pile-up. Running was fair with about 100 Q's
added between 1130-1330Z. Just a couple of days before the test 2 JA's
were booming in at sunrise, but not to be in the test.
   The weather was fantastic here both days and I overdid it a bit
trimming trees and bike riding on the C&O canal Saturday, high was 65 F
and on Sunday 62 F, I can never remember a better weekend in January!
Saturday evening running became S-L-O-W and Eu was quite weak til
around 0030Z when the Eu big guns became workable. Running 1 station every
2-3 minutes was just too much like work, so I took off time to watch the
evening news and a drama. S&P was slow as well as most of the CQ'ers had
already been worked. I also noted a lack of answers from W5/W0/none from
Rocky mountain area, condx were below average. Despite meager condx,
PC5M and XE1KK called in and I S&P'ed M2D, HA, SN7Q, CT, CT3FN, S5, GM,
OM, VO2, MD4K, ZF2NT (broke mother of pile-ups on first call), and YU
between 0020 and 0340Z.
  Sunday AM was slow adding VE6 as only new mult and NH6KB as only DX.
Sunday evening Eu was readable by 22Z about 25 minutes before sunset and
I started picking off a lot of 10 pointers 2208 til 24Z, 15 Eu Q's with
new mults DR5X, UW5U, ON4UN, plus EA6IB, YR1A, and GW3JXN in last 30
minutes. EO6F wins the award for deaf ears, many USA callers. I found
GJ3YHU about 2345 very Q5 who would have been a new DXCC had he heard me
(about 7 minutes futile effort). T98U was also heard but not worked, but
he was easy after the fray for a new one. I'm starting a tradition of no
new ones during the contest, but finding them after it ends, worked 2
newbies last year post test.
  On the positive side, it was a personal best for me in this test
without spending much time, only about 12 hours. Most of my previous
outings were LP. Congrats to the runnin' champ W4MYA, W4ZV, KT3Y gang,
W0UCE (+N4CW), and N4AF for truly amazing scores! I had to use my
venerable TS-830S purchased around 1981 with the attenuator on til I
get the TS-940's phase noise cleaned up. Tuning rate was a world faster
and it sure doesn't hear like an Orion, but I heard quite a few that
couldn't copy me and I could pick 'em out thru the USA CQ'ers Sunday
evening. There should be a much larger than 5 kHz DX window and the
USA guys by and large would have been better of searching for Eu the
last 2 hours than making noise. Thanks for the calls and the rush of
the run at the start, will try to get it together next year.
Nothing I didn't realize already, but to be serious in this test I
 need to take Friday off from work and try and get used to staying up
 late. I didn't last long Friday evening deciding to take a break about
 0325Z and just sagging into bed after that. Hence, my goose was cooked
 for the weekend. I got off to a great start running 136 Q's in the
 first hour after a very slow first 4 minutes; I was called by VP9I,
 V25G, and PJ2T as well. This was followed by 129 Q's the 2nd hr which
 netted for first 2 hours about 35% of my total for the weekend. F5BBD
 was the only EU to answer a CQ, and I S&P'ed CU2A, OK5W, 9A15DX, and
 IK1. Several Eu were copyable but weren't hearing the USA well thru
 the Eu din.
   Saturday AM, condx to the west were down from normal, the only DX
worked was KH7X who had no pile-up. Running was fair with about 100 Q's
added between 1130-1330Z. Just a couple of days before the test 2 JA's
were booming in at sunrise, but not to be in the test.
   The weather was fantastic here both days and I overdid it a bit
trimming trees and bike riding on the C&O canal Saturday, high was 65 F
and on Sunday 62 F, I can never remember a better weekend in January!
Saturday evening running became S-L-O-W and Eu was quite weak til
around 0030Z when the Eu big guns became workable. Running 1 station every
2-3 minutes was just too much like work, so I took off time to watch the
evening news and a drama. S&P was slow as well as most of the CQ'ers had
already been worked. I also noted a lack of answers from W5/W0/none from
Rocky mountain area, condx were below average. Despite meager condx,
PC5M and XE1KK called in and I S&P'ed M2D, HA, SN7Q, CT, CT3FN, S5, GM,
OM, VO2, MD4K, ZF2NT (broke mother of pile-ups on first call), and YU
between 0020 and 0340Z.
  Sunday AM was slow adding VE6 as only new mult and NH6KB as only DX.
Sunday evening Eu was readable by 22Z about 25 minutes before sunset and
I started picking off a lot of 10 pointers 2208 til 24Z, 15 Eu Q's with
new mults DR5X, UW5U, ON4UN, plus EA6IB, YR1A, and GW3JXN in last 30
minutes. EO6F wins the award for deaf ears, many USA callers. I found
GJ3YHU about 2345 very Q5 who would have been a new DXCC had he heard me
(about 7 minutes futile effort). T98U was also heard but not worked, but
he was easy after the fray for a new one. I'm starting a tradition of no
new ones during the contest, but finding them after it ends, worked 2
newbies last year post test.
  On the positive side, it was a personal best for me in this test
without spending much time, only about 12 hours. Most of my previous
outings were LP. Congrats to the runnin' champ W4MYA, W4ZV, KT3Y gang,
W0UCE (+N4CW), and N4AF for truly amazing scores! I had to use my
venerable TS-830S purchased around 1981 with the attenuator on til I
get the TS-940's phase noise cleaned up. Tuning rate was a world faster
and it sure doesn't hear like an Orion, but I heard quite a few that
couldn't copy me and I could pick 'em out thru the USA CQ'ers Sunday
evening. There should be a much larger than 5 kHz DX window and the
USA guys by and large would have been better of searching for Eu the
last 2 hours than making noise. Thanks for the calls and the rush of
the run at the start, will try to get it together next year.


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