[3830] ARRL 160 KN5O M/S HP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: KN5O
Operator(s): KN5O
Station: KN5O

Class: M/S HP
QTH: Covington, LA
Operating Time (hrs): 11

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 805  Sections = 77  Countries = 12  Total Score = 147,829

Club: Louisiana Contest Club

Comments:

I was going to enter as a Single Op, but decided in the end to use the Cluster
Crutch, so entering M/S.

This is my very first leisurely attempt in the ARRL 160M contest.  Spent about
8 hours Friday nite and about 3 hours Saturday nite (somewhat mellowed) after
returning home from the Delta DX Association's annual Christmas party, where I
got a real good razzing from a few of the members for even trying to put out RF
there.  But hey, I'm still wound up from CQWW CWand needed a contest "fix."

After telling a few of them I "ACTUALLY" spent time on 160, that was it.  I
never heard the end of it.  I guess you either love this band or you hate it. 
I'm in the latter camp.

I didn't even realize the contest started @ 4PM local time.. I'm thinking 6PM
and when I got to the band, gee, it actually sounded like folks were making
Qs.
So I finally checked the rules (and well DUH?), it had already begun.  But I
was wasn't serious about it anyway.  I was just there to give out my section
for a few stations.  So what did it matter?  Between the static crashes, the
stations that were 20+/9, the local birdies (and considering where my miserable
dog-ear'd, low-hanging dipole antenna was resonant), I finally found a 200 Hz
spot and settled in calling CQ.

And that's when the fun started (did I actually say fun?).  Pretty much spent
the next 8 hours right there, or within about a 100Hz, depending on who
squeezed in close to me.  I had the FT-1000MP 250Hz filter enabled and
adjusted the passband for about 100Hz, so I pretty much didn't hear anything
outside of that.  At least the QRN level was tolerable.  

Unfortunately, I also seemed to have experienced a lot of QSB at times and had
to ask for repeats more than I would have liked.  Thankfully most 160M Ops are
extremely patient.  I decided to QRT about 1:30AM local time with 630 Q's in
the log, 67 sections and 7 DX stations, all from CQing - no S&P - so I was
pleased with that effort.  At one point, I noticed I was spotted by a DL7 - and
he finally worked me about 20 mins later, when I could copy him well.  Thanks
for the contact and patience!

But Saturday nite wasn't so productive.  Noise seemed worse, harder to find a
place to call CQ, so I wound up S&Ping for a good part of the time.  Got a few
more DX stations in the log and brought the section count up to 77.  Got called
by a VE5 that turned out to be in VE6,  :-(   So in the end, missed SK, NWT & NL
for a sweep, but at least I did manage WAS, so I was happy for that!  Now to see
what LoTW brings!  At this point, I have only 1 state confirmed in LoTW on 160,
my own...  Plus, if I can get one of my ND contacts to confirm LoTW, I can
actually complete the Triple Play Award, for which I've made no real effort to
obtain.

Many thanks to all of you that called in.  Congratulations to all the winners
and to everyone, a most joyous and safe Holiday season.  Now on to ARRL 10M!

73,
Ted, KN5O


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