[3830] ARRL 160 W7RH Single Op LP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: W7RH
Operator(s): W7RH
Station: W7RH

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: ARIZONA
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 642  Sections = 75  Countries = 11  Total Score = 113,778

Club: 

Comments:

Greetings All,

The trials and tribulations of operating on a remote ranch station in N.
Arizona. I arrived Thursday afternoon and settled down to an evening of light
radio operation and rest. It had been overcast for two days but the batteries
were nearly charged. There had only been 10 AMP Hours of charge current from
solar arrays in two days. No problem, there was a generator in place that
tested fine two weeks ago. So I played and went to bed.

Friday morning made coffee and a late breakfast then meandered out to run the
generator to top off the batteries before the contest and huge winter storm
arrived. The generator fired up and with charge current up at 75 AMPS. I went
about my business for a few minutes and heard the generator sputtering. I went
to investigate the problem to find the fuel tank pit-cock valve and screen
assembly was broken starving the motor for fuel while dumping raw gas over the
generator motor. Not a good thing. With no spare parts all I could do was pray
the wind from the advancing storm would come early.

It is two hours from official start of the contest, no sun and very light wind.
The batteries are at 70%. Not a good thing for an all night balls to the wall
operation. I went inside shut everything down and waited for the forecast
winds. About 1:00 PM the wind was blowing strong enough to generate some power.
At 2:00 PM we were probably generating 200W at 24V with a steady 12-15 MPH wind
from the SW. I sat there in the dark it seems like forever watching the battery
voltage and started contesting around 5:00 PM. A late start but what the heck.
It's dark and I'm not going anywhere. It started raining heavy and the wind was
picking up. By this time the sustained wind was over 30 MPH and it was pouring
outside.

I succeeded in working a hundred contacts or so when around 8:00 PM the static

built up to 20 over S-9. I could not hear anything. The wind was over 40 MPH 
in gusts and the wind generator was going into over speed protection and 
shutting down. Outside the wind was howling, with heavy rain and sleet. I had 
no choice but to go to bead. I could hardly sleep the wind was gusting to 
50MPH and it was still raining hard when I got up at 1:00AM. It rained all 
night. I worked what ever I could search and pounce. I could not hear well 
enough to establish a good run. I ended at 7:00 AM with 180 contacts in the 
log. It was still raining hard, I made breakfast a pot of coffee with the 
batteries at 60% charge. It stayed windy all day. Still no sun. The wind 
generator was plugging along at 300W. I use over 600W just to run the station 
with lights, computer, satellite ect.

I again shut down everything and hit the sack. It never stopped raining. We 
had almost 3 inches of rain in 24 hours and it was apparent I was not going 
anywhere soon. That is an under statement. At 3:30 PM I got back on the air, 
forced myself on a frequency called CQ and started filling the log. Everyone 
else had called CQ the night before so I had a good run going. I mixed in a 
little search and pounce. I'm at half my score of the year before. I am 
really suffering major depression. The trip with food, gas and time off was 
costing me almost a grand!  The temperature was dropping fast but the wind was

still blowing. Again I stopped for a hour or so about 10:00 PM because of a 
20 over noise level. I looked outside and it was snowing! Holy Shit! Where is 
my Vodka when I need it! It stopped snowing about 11:00 PM. I found a clear 
spot 300 Hz wide and started CQ'ing again. Three hours later I had a 
stateside ARRL section sweep! I was determined. At 4:00 AM with the band 
nearly worked out I broke last years score. I stuck with it and did not go 
back to search and pounce until just before sunrise. I worked everything I 
could and went to bed at 7:00 AM. The outside temperature was 17 degrees and
the small valley had a deep thick surreal fog. 

I got up at 1:00 PM Sunday. The sun was out and the wind was still blowing! I
got back on the air at 3:00 PM and worked a half dozen more stations and then 
quit at 3:30 because of no activity and no propagation to EU or Africa.

A new personal high score and a chance of "best LP for west of Rockies Low
Power!" What a weekend! I was tired.I packed up hungry and headed out. The road
was horrendous. I carried back a thousand pounds of Arizona mud.  Westside Lilos
in Seligman provided the hot fuel and coffee to make it home to Las Vegas. Damn,
I love their food....Next year I'll do it again. Thank God I installed a wind
generator.

Always a great contest with always new issues! See you all next year!

Bob, W7RH


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