[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: AZ Ranch
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 680  Sections = 73  Countries = 11  Total Score = 121,800

Club: 

Comments:

I will never be a top flight contester, being literally half deaf but mostly
old. I improved my score over last year. However, being a loosely defined DX'er
I find it very difficult to call "CQ contest" for 20 hours of operation. At some
point I need to stretch my legs and come back in the "old way" using search and
pounce. There might be some ATD in there as well. This year was really no
exception.

DAY ONE started off well with several good runs of cq'ing intermixed with some
good ole search and pounce.DX was scarce but to be expected. The EU pipeline
stopped East of the Rockies. The first day I was shy just three states AK, DE
and RI. The JA stations were weak Saturday morning and I could not find a hole
in the "JA Window" to operate. Ended up missing JA on Day One for the first
time ever! Bless the RW0 that worked me on the plus side of 1825. He gave me
spirit to continue.

DAY TWO conditions were much better into the late evening out West. Around
06:00Z someone turned off the light switch.The band went completely dead. There
was no directivity on receive from the antenna system. Signals to the East
dropped completely into the noise with pulsating QSB that made getting a
call-sign right the first time impossible. I went to bed with the audio in the
background. I awakened to the morning clamber of stations calling DX at
12:00Z.I called CQ for a couple of runs and when the rate dropped went looking
for my JA. Viola! 200Hz inside the simplex window! I worked one then 20 more
before I was pushed out.

Who knows? Maybe next year I will plant my feet and call CQ for 20 hours to see
what the difference would be :) Then maybe not. My wife still thinks I'm crazy
to do all this for a piece of paper once a year. See you all next year!

73,

Bob


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