[3830] CQWW CW N0AH SOSB(A)/160 LP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: N0AH
Operator(s): N0AH
Station: N0AH

Class: SOSB(A)/160 LP
QTH: CO
Operating Time (hrs): 6

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:  28     6        14
   80:                    
   40:                    
   20:                    
   15:                    
   10:                    
------------------------------
Total:  28     6        14  Total Score = 1,200

Club: Grand Mesa Contesters of Colorado

Comments:

Mainly a test to push the limits of our single loop K9AY RX antenna pointed
west/east.  Receive testing for next week's ARRL test. Was nice having a new
Cushcrsaft MA160V vs the Alpha Delta 55 foot 30-160M sloper-    

The nights leading up to the contest were pretty good. We'd been working a lot
of VE coast to coast, and a few stations arriving in Caribbean getting set up
for the test. Heard some EU's and worked a few KH6's. A lot of Colorado
stations had worked the ZL8X during this time. 

The day of the contest, the K looked good so we were expecting to work 25-30
DXCC's.  Didn't happen- band went south at our QTH and I fell asleep a couple
of hours before our sunrises- whoops-........    

The first night, I could feel the band changing for the worse. Didn't hear any
KH6 or EU's.  The second night, the band seemed improved but then got worse a
few hours after sunset.  But what great conditions to test out everything.

Most of my QSO's were with VE's and worked the following DX:  ZF, VP2M, V47,
VP2E, XE, V47, V2, TO, 8P, P4, PJ2, KV4, and C6.  No US stations as we do have
our principles for a CQWW test-   

Thought I might have got through to the ZL8X but there was a lot of QSB on
their signal here. So I din't log them. Not worth the mistake at my score, but
I'll be checking their on-line logs once updated, hi....From the spots, it
seemed like stations in W9 and W8 sure heard a lot of them.  I only heard them
briefly the second night around 10:30Z.

We are set for the ARRL Topband contest for next week- Finally, we are set up
to hear and work other stateside/VE low power small 160M antennas on good
nights since setting everything up last week with the K9AY loop.

Most impressive station copied by the K9AY loop was VE1ZA......5 S-unit
difference going from east to west.  Was not a booming signal, but we just
seemed to have a pipeline on them and they were the strongest station outside
Colorado copied. 

Over-all average was from 1-3 S-units on the single loop K9AY anternna
switching back and forth from east to west. Pictures at www.qrz.com under n0ah.
This antenna fit perfectly for us.  

Anna, W0ANT, and I had good dad and daughter time of putting it together, then
doing it over trying to maximize it's performance after checking out a number
of online sites about the antenna.  Dog proofing this set up is tough!

The biggest changes we made were to take the outdoor unit off a short steel
mast of about a foot, and place it about two feet high on the 25 foot
fiberglass mast W0RIC provided us. Then we added four 20 foot radials directly
under each side of the loop. We also removed the the MA80/40V antenna mast
close to the loop.  

Our TX antenna and the loop are about 60 feet apart. We used a front end saver
by RadioDan, W7RF. It arrived an hour before the contest started!  

If you live on a small lot, I'd suggest the K9AY Loop- even if you only have
room for a single loop-  well worth the time- 

Two stations we heard often but did not work were HD2M and TI5N. I only heard
TI5N on the first night, but they later reported strong power line QRM, (Been
there, done that at 3DA0 2004) and the HD2M was actually in the mud most of the
first night, but very copyable on the second night. Everyone else I tried to
reach we got through.  Breaking the VP2M pile up was the highlight here- (after
a lot of edge calling and tail-ending-)  Low light was the notable change for
worse conditions versus the previous week and just the over-all lack of
activity.

Heard XE2S work a DX station the first night and asked them move up 2 and they
whey found us! That was fun even if the QSY landed right in the middle of a
strong stateside station in the middle of the DX window- still got to work
XE2S-....Har! Victory measured in small steps in small backyards on topband!!
(-:

A lot to write for such a low score but scored 4 ATNO's on this effort and
getting within 30 of 160M DXCC- 73  Paul  N0AH  DM79nn


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