[3830] ARRL 160 N7GP(N5IA) Single Op HP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: N7GP
Operator(s): N5IA
Station: W7MCO

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: AZ, DM52
Operating Time (hrs): 28
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1225  Sections = 77  Countries = 24  Total Score = 265,933

Club: Cactus Radio Club

Comments:

The bad and the good.

The N7GP station hadn't been used since the CQ 160 SSB last February.  The
Beverage farm had to be redone as the javelinas had eaten up some of the
feedline jumpers and antenna wires at the sloping ends.  Both remote antenna
switches at the Beverage farm had taken lightning during the summer
thunderstorm season and only one could be resurrected.  

Some of radials on the Ground Plane were broken.  The Alpha decided it wouldn't
work.

After a full day of repairs I decided to do a low key, low power single op. 
Then I remembered I had a 30 year old Dentron MLA-2500 stored away somewhere. 
I found it, and since it had not been powered up for more than 10 years I
pushed the ON button with a broom handle.  First good thing.  The electrolytics
didn't blow up.  When connected to the antenna and transceiver, it even made
about 600 Watts of power out.

All of the station rearranging for a single feed from the remote antennas, the
amp changeout and connecting up the SO2R box from the M/S configuration got me
started 2+ hours after the starting bell.

After that, everything went well.  Although the band didn't open more than a
tiny, short period to souther EU, the overall conditions were some of the best
I have experienced.  

The same thing for the path to JA.  Just a few of the big guns for the mult and
some 5 pointers.

No breakdown stats this year.  Just the basic report and a big thank you to all
the great ops out there on Top Band.  One last good point.  I noticed only ONE
clicking transmitter this year.  What a pleasure to stroll up/down the band and
just hear pure CW.

73 to all de Milt, N5IA, op at the N7GP station


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