[3830] TBDC K3ZM Single Op HP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

Call: K3ZM
Operator(s): K3ZM
Station: K3ZM

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: VA
Operating Time (hrs): 14

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 727  Total Score = 4,767

Club: 

Comments:

Many thanks to BARC for sponsoring this event.  This was my first entry in "The
Stew," having only given out QSO's to others in the past.  I used CT,
pretending to be operating in the ARRL DX Contest W/VE side and entering the
Grid Squares in the power field, which accepts four alphanumeric characters. 
Special thanks to the XYL (my IT person) for taking the output from CT and
eventually feeding it into BARC's scoring program so I could post this score.

I was tricked by GM3POI and other loud EU's into beginning the contest early,
at about 2100z.  Only a few of them could hear me at that point.  So, I worked
some stateside stations.

Through lots of hard listening, I managed 210 EU contacts (net of a few Dupes)
or 28.9% of the total net QSO's.  As a matter of interest, I worked 49 DX
countries.

Listening toward the West Coast was noisier than listening toward EU, with all
the storms.  Pity those hams in the heartland trying to operate in this contest
with all that QRN.

One of my main problems in these 160 contests (except ARRL 160) is QRM from EU
stations.  I had a good frequency low in the band early in the competition, but
was wedged with EU's all over the place.  I knew my potential EU respondents
would not hear me under these circumstances.  So, I retreated up to about 1849
and established a nice run, with many EU stations answering (I learned this
from observing Jeff).  But, as often happens, I eventually found I was
suffering QRM from a pretty strong SSB station up there.  It turned out to be a
MM0 calling CQ DX.  So I answered him!  After negotiating the matter, we decided
that I would move up the band, not him (I think this was more his decision,
actually).  So, farther up I go, in search of a frequency where EU can hear me.
 This worked well for a while.  Much later, I stopped getting answers, and then
found a frequency on about 1811 where I stayed until EU sunrise.  I did not get
up from the chair until that point.

During this contest, two respondents called me Fred, and another two said,
"Thanks, Jeff."  Story of my life.

Did not work anything in the Pacific except KH6AT and KH6LC.  No JA, no KL7. 
The good DXers like AA1K and W4ZV always seem to work that stuff in these
affairs, but I never do.  Perhaps that is an area for improvement.  Longest DX
for me was UA4RZ for 18 points.

I sure hope all the EU's that I worked who were running 100 watts or less
submit their logs!  What goes around, comes around.  It may now be payback time
for me, for not having submitted my log after casual participation in other
contests.

Thanks to all who provided the contacts, especially the faithful EU stations.

73,

Peter  K3ZM


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