[3830] ARRL 160 K1LT Single Op HP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Ohio
Operating Time (hrs): 30

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1469  Sections = 77  Countries = 42  Total Score = 392,105

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Now I think I know something about sleep deprivation.  Last month I
started a new job, which requires me to commute more than an hour each
way, and to be at my desk by 7am every morning.  Since my wife works
in the evening, I have parenting duty until about 9pm each evening.
Given these two limits, there is not much time for station building,
or even sleeping.

During the week between the CQ-WW-CQ and the ARRL 160, I tried to
finish my 8 circle phased array, but there just wasn't enough time.
So, I decided to stick with the linear array, which might be a good
thing since it hasn't been through an entire contest season without
also being under development.  See k1lt.com for more info about my
phased array development.

I also tried to add another "feature" to "integrate" my conventional
station and my digital radio and antenna combination.  Since the
phased array requires a computer to be the receiver and antenna
rotator, I have to operate split instead of transceive.  Since the
IC765 which is my transmitter doesn't have a "spot" switch (remember
those?), I just turn the dial until the frequency display on the
transmitter matches the frequency display on the receiver.  But that
takes a long time, which defeats the "point and click" benefit of the
panoramic display on the receiver.  Since WriteLog is busy swapping
frequency information with the radio via the serial port, it seems
like some clever software could inject some frequency change
instructions from the other computer.

I found some free software that accepts data from a TCP connection and
inserts that data between an application (WriteLog) and a serial port.
I patched sdr-shell on the digital receiver to transmit the operating
frequency when I "point and click".  Generally, it worked, except that
from time to time, the digital receiver spectrum display would freeze,
and the Ethernet driver on the logging computer would then hang (or
vice-versa).

So, there are some bugs to work out, but "search & pounce" via "point
& click" is very practical.  Rather than carefully tuning across vast
swaths of empty space in the alleged "DX window", I could just click
on the next signal.  Also, the spectrum display makes it easy to give
priority to weak signals versus strong signals.  Finally, choosing a
run frequency is merely a matter of watching for a hole and pouncing.

Rather than making a story of all of my operating observations, here
they are straight: I operated the first 7 hours non-stop and achieved
a better than 100 hour average; the W6s and W7s were noticeably absent
during that time; I hae a persistent, strong, broadband local noise
source to my north and west, Europe was in normally until their
sunrise and then they disappeared; maybe I worked 1 JA near my sunrise
the first day; the band was thoroughly packed the second day, even up
to 1880 kHz; propagation the second day was much more normal; I didn't
hear any VK and ZL either day; and I was called by duplicates too many
times.

Now for the sleep deprivation story.  I stopped for the evening around
0730Z the second night.  Normally I would operate through European
sunrise, but the rate had dropped off, and in my sleepy haze I
miscalculated how many hours I was planning to nap.  I set the alarm
for 1030Z and fell promptly to sleep.  When the alarm woke me, I got
up and looked at all of the equipment.  I said to myself, "I know what
I am supposed to do with this stuff, but I can't remember why I am
doing this.  I can't even remember the goal."  I've never before had
such a disconnect with reality.  Since I knew what to do, I went ahead
and slowly started to do it, thinking the reason might come to me
after a while.  I found an empty frequency (which are abundant at
1100Z) and started CQing.  When someone called, I worked them, but
something still didn't feel right.  The purpose was still missing.
After a while, rational thought returned, but for a while I was
functioning purely on momentum without the benefit of rational
thought.

This soapbox is a little rambling, but that's how I'm feeling at the
moment.  Maybe more signs of sleep deprivation.

DX worked: 9A, CT, CU, CX, DL, E7, EA, EA8, EI, F, FM, FY, G, GI, GW,
HA, HB, HI, HK0, I, J3, LA, OA, OE, OK, OM, ON, OZ, P4, PA, S5, SM,
SP, SV, UA, UR, XE, YL, YU, and ZF.  Missed AK, PR, and NT.

Equipment: IC765, ETO 91B on loan from K8ND, 8 element broadside /
end-fire phased array and software radio, many Beverages, 1 lid.


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