[3830] TBDC W2GD Multi-Op HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

Call: W2GD
Operator(s): K2SG, K2TW, N2HM, N2OO, N4HY, W2ARP, W2CG, W1GD, W2GD, W2NO, W2OB
Station: W2GD

Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: FM29
Operating Time (hrs): 13:57

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 732  Total Score = 4,224

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

Station located on the NJ Shoreline, 20 miles N of Atlantic City, SNJ

K3 + IC746 slave RX + Alpha 99
K3 + Alpha 78
Flex 5000
WIN-TEST Software
2 ele Vertical Beam NE and SW
5 beverages S/N, SW, W, NW, NE
Short RX Vertical

We enteered the M/S HP catagory again this year primarily to test a new RX
antenna and transceivers.  And looking back through the records, our score this
time was our best HP effort ever, and 20% better than 2008, with nearly 100 more
QSOs.  Rates were very good the first few hours then dropped off in the 'deep
night' period.  But we worked 4 JAs and thanks to Greg, ZL3IX, for our best
DX.

Since the ARRL 160 we've been busy planning and implementing some station
changes that would improve our ability to hear DX, specifically EU.  Over the
prior two weeks we built a new short vertical RX antenna and located it 2500
feet away from the TX array.  It performed exceptionally well during the TBDC
and makes S&P by our 2nd operating position ops much more enjoyable and less
fatiguing.  The mult ops can now effectively hear through the run station,
something we've been trying to achieve for over 20 years.  

The other big change was replacing the ICOM xcvers with K3s equipped with the
2nd receiver and offering diversity reception.  This was probably the single
most important factor in our score increase over prior years.  The K3 is
everything it is reported to be, signals seemed to pop out of the noise.  Fully
30 percent of the EU stations worked were not audible on a slave Icom xcvr using
the phased EU beverages.  

We also tried a Flex 5000 in a 3rd RX position.  It has terrific dynamic range,
rivaling the K3, but the user interface for contesting is not quite ready for
'prime time.'

In retrospect, maybe an earlier start time would have been a better choice,
since conditions to EU sounded slightly above average the first few hours and
faded later.  But we were going through the K3 setup learning curve so had to
settle for a 2200 UTC start.  F6BEE, HA8JV, F5IN and others were booming as
early as 2100Z, well before our sunset.    

We started the contest on 1811.5 but would later move around, operating up on
1841 for quite some time.  Not sure how important frequency selection might be,
but we noted the FO station cannot operate below 1830.  Other 3830 reports are
filled with comments that it seemed band conditions were about average or below
and we totally agree.  The signals heard from EU were generally weak or at the
noise level, but of course there were exceptions.  There was never a
time when the band sounded 'full' to us.  And conditions to W6/W7 were less
than steller.  No KL7 this time and only one VE7.  

Despite a strong coastal storm (heavy rain, winds gusting to 50 mph) we never
had a noise level problem, which pleasantly surprised us since we expected
significant local power line QRN.  Only the NE beverage seemed to be noisy,
probably because it was aimed directly at the storm as it passed by up the
coast.

ZL3IX was our best DX.   No VK, no KL7.  192 EU, 40+ DX entities, and 4 JA (the
JA signal peak at our sunrise was terrific, but we missed the JD1.  We'd
previously taken two 30+ minute off times to have sufficient op time left for
the hoped for JA run). Some select EU stations were S-9 the first few hours,
but conditions faded signficantly, and the hoped for signal enhancement at EU
sunrise never materialized. It seemed we could hear the western USA stations
better than they were hearing us much of the time.  Where were all the PYs and
LUs this time?  Very little Carib activity and none from AF was noted.

Thanks again to WYRS-FM for the use of their great facilities, and to members
of the SJDXA for their continuing support of our 160 contest efforts.

We'll be back for the CQ160 CW next month.  HNY to everyone.

73,

John, W2GD, for the 160 TEAM



Country QSO List:

USA 484 Canada 39 Germany 31 Czech 17 Ukraine 17 Euro Russia 14 England 12
Sweden 12 France 8 Finland 8 Hungary 7 Italy 7 Belguim 7 Scotland 6 
Netherlands 5 Croatia 4 Japan 4 Slovakia 4 Slovenia 4 Poland 4  Austria 3
Denmark 3 Latvia 3 Aruba 3 Romania 3 Martinique 2 Iceland 2 Barbado 1 Bahamas 1
Chile 1 Spain 1  Ireland 1 Isle of Man 1 Guernsey 1 Wales 1 Switzerland 1 Sicily
1 Hawaii 1 Virgin Is 1 Puerto Rico 1 Norway 1 Lithuania 1 Kaliningrad 1
Montenegro 1 New Zealand 1


 Day-Hour Rate EU AS NA SA AF OC
> 26-21    57   5  0 52 0 0 0
> 26-22    94  13  0 81  0 0 0
> 26-23    74  28  0 46  0 0 0
> 27-00    81  33  0 48  0 0 0
> 27-01    70  10  0 58  2 0 0
> 27-02    54   5  0 48  1 0 0
> 27-03    68  23  0 45  0 0 0
> 27-04    44  20  0 24  0 0 0
> 27-05    39  15  0 24  0 0 0
> 27-06    38  21  0 16  1 0 0
> 27-07    34  17  0 17  0 0 0
> 27-08    15   2  0 13  0 0 0
> 27-09    19   0  0 17  0 0 2
> 27-10    14   0  0 14  0 0 0
> 27-11     8   0  1  7  0 0 0
> 27-12    23   0  3 20  0 0 0
>         732 192  4 530 4 0 2
>


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