[3830] ARRL 160 N9ADG Single Op HP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: N9ADG
Operator(s): N9ADG
Station: N9ADG

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 26

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 762  Sections = 90  Countries = 17  Total Score = 152,280

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Comments:

What is it about 160? I moved my Inv-L feedpoint from elevated to on the ground
at the last minute, and added about 20 radials, each btw 1/8 and 1/4 wl, where
I could in the yard -- all within 0 and 180' of the compass. The antenna loaded
better using more radials on the ground, so we'll try this for a while and see.


First time trying HP for this contest, sure made contacts easier, and easier
not to get moved from a run frequency... though that didn't stop folks from
trying. I didn't mind getting moved by ZF2.., since I needed the mult, and a
bio-break too. Some operators were notably courteous, like VE3.. -- I'm buying
that guy a beverage next time I can.  

Got started at 2230 or so our time, got about 40 minutes in, but a family
matter intervened and didn't get back on until after 0200z.

Conditions on Friday night were stellar; I haven't done a serious contest in
months, and it was too easy to forget the right habits. Saturday night we had
lots of wind-driven snow (about 8" on the ground today!); noisy, noisy, noisy.
It was a struggle to copy even stations in the midwest and rocky mtn states at
times -- the QRN levels were S9+ on the vertical, and bouncing about S3-7 on
the long beverage. Typical levels are about S1-2 on the beverage. Combined with
the QSB, it was just fatiguing. If I asked for multiple repeats, sorry -- it was
very difficult copy.

Slept four hours on Saturday night woke up 0230 local and found noise somewhat
abated; at times it was as easy to hear JA as California. UA3AGW really woke me
up by answering my CQ this morning, thanks.  I think multi-op may be the fun way
to do this contest in the future, at least once.

Brian N9ADG


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