[3830] ARRL 160 K5AF Single Op LP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: K5AF
Operator(s): K5AF
Station: K5AF

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: STx
Operating Time (hrs): 7.0

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 163  Sections = 55  Countries = 5  Total Score = 20,460

Club: 

Comments:

Dreadful conditions compounded by bad QRN from a nearby source, probably a
plasma TV.

I had been testing several antenna designs the past month, including a T
vertical, an MA-160V design, and an inverted L.  I ended out using the inverted
L along with my 200' low dipole with open feeders.

My dipole has been my main 160M antenna and normally could be relied on to
provide a few hundred Qs and 60-70 mults under normal conditions.  This year, I
struggled for every Q and mult until switching to the inverted L, which only
improved things a bit.

Signals were weak to begin with, QSB was rapid and deep, and even many of the
traditionally strong signals were not immune.  The magical qualities of 160M
were on full display.  I had little difficulty working the one European and the
one South American stations heard, but couldn't work the P40s and PJ2T hung with
me for about 5 minutes to complete a QSO.  I was working lots of western US
stations, but didn't even hear any California stations till fairly late the
first night.  I worked up and down the East Coast, but couldn't work SFl and
WCF, normally a chip shot from STx.

I have to be guardedly pleased with the inverted L, though.  It was
consistently 1-2 S units louder than the dipole on receive, and was quite
reliable on transmit.  It uses #22 stealth wire, and is about 35' up and 90'
out, with 10 radials with an average length of 50'.  I plan to add about 6 more
radials for CQ160, and that should help a lot.  I can't use much larger wire in
my restricted neighborhood, but I think I can run a couple of parallel wires
spaced about a foot apart to help handle the high currents in the vertical
portion of the antenna.  I might also try elevated radials.

Overall, though, I cannot remember a time when 160M was so bad for two days in
a row.  I didn't think it could get worse than the first night, but it did! 
Thanks for the QSOs, see you in January.

Paul K5AF


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