[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 = 1685  Sections = 78  Countries = 51  Total Score = 526,836

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

The goal this year was to use this phased array "secret weapon" thing
and see if I can get into a top ten box.  Before the phased array, I
could often get into the multi-op top ten.  Thus, the single op (no
assistance) category seemed challenging.  Of course, the other goal is
always to beat last year's score.

I am pleased with the result.  More than 200 more QSOs than last year,
and several more countries worked.  Missed AK and VE8 for a sweep.  I
chased NL7Z (can't remember call now) for a short while near the end,
but he quickly left.  I think I worked every multiplier that I heard,
and most came back to my CQs.

Now the important question (for me) is whether or not the improvement
is due to the "secret weapon", or to better conditions than normal.  I
must say that I've never gotten so many calls by Europeans so early
(the first two contacts were an F and an SM).  In total I worked 239 5
point contacts.  That's more 160 meter DX than I worked last week as
SOSB/160 in the CQ WW CW.

During the contest I tried to compare the phased array receiver system
(see my QEX article) with my NE Beverage.  When the signal was plainly
audible, it seemed the same in both receivers.  When the signal was
very weak, I could not find it on the Beverage.  However, maybe I
couldn't spend enough time trying to hear the signal, since I was also
trying to get a report from that weak station.  But my perception is
that I can hear better with the phased array in its preferred
direction (towards Europe and Africa).  I did not work any European
stations using a Beverage.

Measurements before the contest show that the conventional receiver
can hear a signal as much as 6 db weaker than can the phased array
receivers when running all four receivers in phase through a 4-way
splitter.  (I need to repeat this measurement more carefully.)  On the
other hand, the phased array is supposed to have about 3 db more
directivity than my best Beverage.  This may support the observation
that neither receiving system seems to be clearly superior.  But when
that next generation of low-noise op-amps comes along, watch out!  I
just need to replace 1 chip per receiver for 3 db of improvement
(hopefully).

Much of the time I used both receivers simultaneously, with the phased
array pointed at Europe in one ear, and a west Beverage in the other.
Also, I would switch Beverages around to find stations from the
southeast.  After European sunrise, I switched the phased array to due
west or southwest, used a northwest Beverage as the alternate, and
switched around both antenna systems to find signals in other
directions.

My apologies for being distinctly an alligator with respect to the
west coast and the entire Midwest.  Much of the time, my west and
northwest Beverages were hearing a lot of power line noise, which made
copying 6s and 7s very difficult.

Searching for a signal on multiple receive antennas always causes me
to miss part of a callsign, which always requires a "?" to request a
second call.  Again, my apologies for requiring so many fills.

I built a circle of 8 active antennas to use a phased array, using
K7TJR's Hi-Z amplifiers.  The array works, but the amplified short
antennas don't have enough output when used with Softrock SDRs to hear
weak signals.  So I will either have to improve the output of each
antenna, or build an electro-mechanical switch to use the circle array
with a pre-amp and conventional receiver.  One of these days ...

The other goofy experiment was using Windows Remote Desktop to
transfer the control of the logging computer to the laptop with the
wireless Ethernet.  Then, along with the wireless headphones, I could
carry the contest with me to the kitchen in order to make dinner or
get a snack (or clean up afterward).  This process sort of worked,
except that typing the "Insert" key to commence an exchange requires
two well-placed fingers, steady eyes to see the microscopic key
labels, and the presence of mind to put the laptop keyboard in "not
numlock" mode.  I lost a couple of contacts trying this technique.  On
the other hand, I was able to virtually keep my butt-in-chair for 10
hours straight Saturday night.  (Friday night I managed BIC with
conventional methods).

I put up a 3 element Yagi on 10 meters, so see you next week in the
ARRL 10 Meter Contest, kid watch permitting.

DX worked: 4O, 6Y, 9A, C6, CT, DL, E7, EA, EI, ES, EU, F, FG, G, GD,
GM, GW, HA, HB, HC, HC8, HI, I, LA, LY, OE, OH, OK, OM, ON, OZ, P4,
PA, PJ2, PY0F, S5, SM, SP, SV, T5, TF, UA, UA2, UR, VP5, XE, YL, YO,
YU, ZF, and ZS.

Equipment: IC765, ETO-91B (loaner from K8ND, thanks Jeff!), 65 foot
"T" with 75 radials, 13 Beverages, 4 element broadside array of 2
element end-fire arrays steerable via software radio (see Dec. 2009
QEX), too many computers, and 1 old lid.


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