[3830] ARRL 160 K4LY Single Op LP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

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

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: SC
Operating Time (hrs): 15

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 580  Sections = 68  Countries = 9  Total Score = 91,630

Club: Carolina DX Assn

Comments:

One of my favorite contests!  My 160M receiving is improved over last year
having put up two big KAZ antennas, one beaming NE and the other NW.  There's
little I can't hear.  The sloping inverted L topped out at 85' last year and
worked well enough for a (barely) top 10 SOLP finish, so my goal was to do it
again.  After the telescoping fiberglass pole broke in 3 places (it held up the
top of the inverted L above my 65' tower) a few weeks ago, I rigged up an
aluminum  pole and pole vaulting pole to get the inv L up to 80', five feet
lower than last year.  It didn't seem to be all that good in the CQWW 160M
effort.  So last week, I cut a 24' bamboo pole from a nearby grove and carried
the pole 1 1/2 miles up to my hilltop QTH.  It replaced the aluminum pole/
vaulting pole and got the top of the inv L up to 88'.  Seemed to work
wonderfully the other evening when I worked two GM and an ES on SSB and three
Ukraine stations, among others, on CW.  That was with HP. 
 But when the contest started I ran low power, couldn't find a frequency,
couldn't hold a frequency and couldn't run like I did at the beginning last
year.  By midnight, I was a couple dozen Qs and a few sections behind last
years score.  And it got worse. I'm usually so pumped up with adrenalin that
staying awake is not a problem.  But no. I kept falling asleep. I woke up a
couple times around 4 AM, once with my hand on the paddle- so that was the
dashes you might have heard!  I threw in the towel and slept until 10 AM.  My
competitive plans were dashed.  Maybe things just broke right for me last year.
 Maybe I hadn't recovered from the all nighters the week before- quite possibly
as I had never tried all nighters two weekends in a row and my sleeping routine
had been screwed up all week- and maybe it's just natures way at age 68 of
telling me to slow down?  Anyway, I lost my motivation and only operated
briefly Saturday evening and Sunday morning.  Only one DX station called me-
J39BS.  Thank you.  Thanks also to G4AQG and especially G4AMT for their
patience with me, waiting until the QSB peaked and they got my call and
exchange.  Well, I'll try again in the Stu Perry.  CU there and thanks for the
Qs.
Doug K4LY  Inman SC


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