[3830] ARRLDX CW K1LT SOSB/160 HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT

Class: SOSB/160 HP
QTH: Ohio
Operating Time (hrs): 25

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:  291    65
   80:   72    34
   40:   87    38
   20:  115    57
   15:   79    48
   10:   41    19
-------------------
Total:  291    65  Total Score = 53,820

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Final result clarification: I'm classifying myself as SOSB/160, so
thats the score in the "Total" line which goes on the 3830 summaries.
But the totals across all bands are:

685 QSOs, 261 Multipliers, Score: 523,827


The plan was to operate single band on 160 with no particular
attention to the other bands.  I stuck to that plan through Saturday
afternoon, which was easy since I also had to take care of my kid.

The first night had sort of "normal" conditions.  I could work Europe
easily from the start of the contest.  KH6LC called me fairly early,
like an hour before his sunset, but I couldn't hear him well enough to
be sure of his power.  This must be what the Europeans have to deal
with when we call them before our sunset.  Stayed up until 0700Z or
so, until I couldn't find any new stations to work.  I took the risk
of missing some interesting South Americans in exchange for some
sleep.  Apparently I only missed KP4.  Got up at 1100Z and worked
5W0OU and TX4T.  Heard FK8CP, but he did not seem to be reporting his
power, so I didn't call.  Worked KL7RA, although he was most difficult
to copy through the northwest noise.  Toward sunrise, his signal was
getting stronger, and the noise was getting weaker, so every time I
thought I could really pull him through, I called and he faded.  The
third call worked.  Thanks for the dupes!  Stayed up through sunrise
to work JA3YBK and then went back to bed.

Saturday afternoon, between requests from the child for entertainment,
I put the radio on 10 meters to see if there was any activity, since
there are a few sunspots now.  There were signals!  So I started
chasing DX.  Then, the kid's grandmother called, and everyone
conspired to allow me to be alone!  Bring on the DX!  So the goal came
to be to see how many multipliers I could work while maintaining a
single band 160 effort.

The other motivation for working the other bands was to work stations
I might work later on 160, so get their reports into the log.  Maybe
they might be easier to work on 160 if we already knew each others
report.

Went back to 160 at 2230Z and worked SN3R, proving that there was some
propagation to Europe.  But there weren't any other new stations to
work, so I returned to 20 for a little while.

Went back to 160 at 2250Z and started a run which lasted for about 90
minutes.  Then went to 40 with a quick visit to 20 to work 6Y1LZ with
the hopes of working him on 6 bands.

Moved back to 160 at 0040Z and worked a few more stations and then
went to 80.  My 80 meter antenna is 4 wires in a cage surrounding the
160 vertical.  Each wire is a different length, which provides about
50 kHz of bandwidth.  So the SWR curve on 80 looks like a sawtooth
with 4 low SWR points.  Anyway, the 80 vertical just does not seem to
have the same punch as the 160 vertical.  Any guesses as to why?  I
need to get that HyTower up.

Worked 2 QRP stations: OK2BYW and F5MUX.  They must have very good
antennas.

I continued to alternate 160 and 80 until 0500Z when the rate on 160
stayed consistent and ran stations until 0700Z.  During the European
sunrise period, the QRN was extremely annoying.  The crashes were not
particularly loud, but they did a fine job of obscuring weak callers.
A second ear on a southeast Beverage got pounded by static crashes, so
I used the quieter south Beverage.  I think it needs a new feed-line.

Slept for 4 hours and got up again at 1130Z but didn't find any new
stations to work.  In fact, the waterfall looked very empty.  I made
more 160 QSOs than last year, but I think 160 participation was lower
this year.  Better conditions on the high bands drew everyone higher
in frequency.

Got back on 20 at 1500Z and had a blast since every frequency was a
new, loud, easy to work station.  At 1540Z did the same on 15 meters,
although a 40 meter vertical on 15 just doesn't have the same punch,
so the going was a tad slower.

Rotated through all 5 HF bands until 2300Z when I went back to 160 for
the last hour.  Worked V48M at 2347Z for a last minute multiplier.
Was called by the rare Sovereign State of Michigan for my last QSO.

Equipment: Icom IC-765, ETO 91B (K8ND loaner), 8 element phased array
and SDR receiver, 13 Beverages, 2 computers, 3 screens.  DX Atlas
looks gorgeous on the 32 inch monitor on the wall.

TX antennas, no longer "all verticals, all the time":
160: 65 foot "T" vertical and 75 radials
 80: 4 wire cage around 160 vertical, 45 feet tall, folded back along guys
 40: full size ground mounted vertical and 32 radials.
 20: full size metal barn roof mounted vertical.
 15: 40 meter vertical.
 10: 3 element yagi at 30 feet


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/