[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): 27.5

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1604  Sections = 77  Countries = 51  Total Score = 481,664

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

What is it with the dupes in this contest?  Even Field Day isn't this
bad.  One station duped me about 25 minutes after his first contact.
Then an hour later, another station dupes me only 7 minutes after his
first contact.  I suppose that means my station is desirable to work,
so perhaps I should focus on the silver lining and ignore the black
cloud.

This year I didn't have a well established goal other than the
standard goal to beat last year's score.  I failed, because I did not
beat last year's score.  I have been trying to figure out what was
different, besides a generally low level of motivation.  Perhaps
over-confidence?

Friday conditions seemed decent but the DX rate was lower.  Last year
I worked 244 5 point stations and 1440 2 points stations while this
year only 190 5 point stations and 1414 2 point stations.  So the W/VE
compliment is nearly the same while the DX compliment is down quite a
bit.  Perhaps everyone is burnt out from the CQ WW CW test which
brought out quite a remarkable number of multipliers on 160 (and
elsewhere).

The Northwest noise stayed away most of the first evening, but it
attacked fiercely Saturday sunrise and about half the time Saturday
night and Sunday sunrise.  It comes and goes very abruptly, and so far
the pattern does not suggest any particular application.  Nor can I
hear the noise on a portable receiver or while driving around.  And it
continues even if I kill all of the power to the house.

Because of the noise at Saturday sunrise, I didn't do very much DX
hunting.  I did hear NP4A calling people, but he didn't call me.  ZL8X
was very weak here Saturday morning, so I didn't call him.  Didn't
hear any other DX during a groggy, cursory check, so I proceeded to
run.  The rate was not bad and I almost caught up with last year's log
by the end of sunrise.

Saturday afternoon, I looked for ways to mitigate the noise.  During
daytime, the noise blankers on both the SDR receiver and the K3
eliminate the impulse noise fairly well.  But at night, both blankers
are almost useless.  I spent so much time chasing the noise, I didn't
start operating until about 2000Z, thus missing about 30 QSOs.  It
doesn't seem like much, but I was never able to recoup that loss.

By Saturday night I was so tired (and disgusted by the static and the
obnoxious local noise source and my bad planning) that I went to sleep
somewhat early, 0600Z instead of the usual 0800Z, perhaps missing
another 70 QSOs or so, compared to last year.

Sunday morning, after 4 hours of sleep, I felt better.  A once-over
S&P was quite productive and I was easily able to work ZL8X and FO8RZ.
The noise seemed to be weaker and more intermittent, which permitted a
few more west coast contacts.

I never did hear NL or NWT, and I probably slept through all of the PR
activity.  Didn't hear anyone chasing JAs and didn't hear any VKs or
regular ZLs.  This year's surprise multiplier was 9H and I also
welcome back the 4X multiplier, long time missing from the ARRL 160.

This posting sounds like a lot of complaining, but I did have fun and
I thank everyone for the QSOs and the gentlemanly operating.  The SDR
waterfall display was certainly quite full both nights yet there was
relatively little frequency competition.  Now that I have a tower and
tribander, I'll see you all in the 10 meter test, child permitting.

DX worked: 4O, 4X, 8P (2), 9A (2), 9H, C6 (3), CE, CT (2), DL (22),
E7, EA (3), EA8, EI, EU (2), F (9), FM, FO, G (16), GD, GM (2), GU, GW
(4), HA (3), HI, I (6), KH6 (3), KL, KP2, LA (2), LY (6), LZ, OE (3),
OH (7), OK (10), OM (3), ON (5), OZ (2), P4 (2), PA (9), PJ2, S5 (3),
SM (5), SP (7), SV, UA (5), UA2, UR (13), VP2M, VP5, XE (2), YL (2),
YO (3), YU, ZL8.

Equipment: K3, ETO-91B (thanks Jeff), 65 foot "T" with 75 radials, 6
2-wire center-fed Beverages, 4 element broadside array of 2 element
end-fire arrays steerable via software radio (see Dec. 2009 QEX), and
Writelog.


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