[3830] CQWW CW K4LY SOSB/160 HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: K4LY
Operator(s): K4LY
Station: K4LY

Class: SOSB/160 HP
QTH: SC EM85
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:  93     15       49
   80:                    
   40:                    
   20:                    
   15:                    
   10:                    
------------------------------
Total:  93     15       49  Total Score = 14,080

Club: Carolina DX Assn

Comments:

Since I got my 160M inverted L back up six weeks ago and had found band
conditions really good at times, working WAC and 51 countries, I decided to try
a competitive 160M efort.  NOT!  A storm to the SE made the band fairly noisy
and even forced me to retire early Saturday morning when cloud to cloud
lightning was overhead.  Propagation was normal-good, but not the excellent
conditions we had earlier in the week when I could work the Russians and
eastern Europeans with my modest station, a TS-850 and 900 watt amp.  On the
other hand, my results are a testament to what you might do on a small lot.  I
have an acre, but my 65' tower by the house and Hygain Hytower 50' from the
house would have fit on my 60' x 180' lot back in the days when I was W2CRS in
Schenectady, NY.  All I do for 160M is run a 1/4wl wire from the lower part of
the Hygain Hytower up to the 80' level on the 65' tower at the back corner of
my house some 50' from the Hytower, which means the sloping wire is about 35
degrees from vertical. The remaining 30' flat top of the antenna runs north to
another tower on the other back corner of the house. Thus, with the Hytower, I
can operate all bands, including 160M, with a single coax feed.  The sloping
inverted L tops out at 80'on a broken Jackite telescoping fiberglass pole, but
was at 85' last winter (that 5' made a difference) before the pole broke in 3
places. I know a solution and should have done this last year. Last week I cut
a 24' bamboo pole (bamboo grows wild here) which is much stronger (and
heavier)than the fiberglass. I cut it and walked it 1 1/2 miles to the house
Thurday and with it substituted for the broken Jackite pole, I will be able to
get the top of the sloping inverted L,  up to the 88' level which I hope to do
before next weeks 160M test.  There are 35' and even 50' bamboo trees I could
cut if I find it easy to put the 24' bamboo on top of the tower strapped to the
mast.  Even with the top of the sloping inverted L at 90' or 100', many of the
Europeans will probably continue to CQ in my face.  With the Hytower only 50'
from a curving road and 52' from the house, I have only about 120 degrees where
I can put out 100' radials.  In the other 240 degrees, I only have room for 80M
radials at best,  so I'll never have a a great radial system.  I figure I'm
loosing 2 dB in power to some of the HP stations, 2 db at low angles because my
wire is sloping at about 55 degrees, and 2 db because of the inadequate radial
field and closeness of the sloping wire to the house and tower.  With that 6
db, I bet I could have worked almost all 75 of the countries I heard this past
weekend.  The two KAZ (variation of the flag) receiving antennas worked very
well.  Thanks for the Qs and CU next weekend in the 160M test.
Doug K4LY  ex- W0AH W2CRS V31AH


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