[3830] CQ160 CW K1LT Single Op HP

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                    CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW

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

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Ohio EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 30

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1297  State/Prov = 59  Countries = 47  Total Score = 396,016

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Many others have commented on the lack of European propagation and the
lack of noise Friday night.  Conditions Saturday night seem to vary
considerably, depending upon location.  Here in southeast Ohio,
Saturday night conditions were almost normal for high solar flux
periods.  However, I could not get a DX run going, and I had to resort
to the ancient art of "Search and Pounce" to work any Europeans.  So,
even though Saturday conditions might have been nearly normal, the
population of stations to work was distinctly not normal, and my score
shows it:

    Year  QSOs  States  DX  Hour  Raw score  Ops
    2012  1297    59    47   30    396,016    1
    2011  1471    59    67   30    670,320    1
    2010  1559    58    75   39    776,587    2
    2009  1416    59    71   30    757,510    1
    2008  1350    58    64   38    553,758    2
    2007  1063    58    68   32    422,100    1
    2006   764    58    47   26    260,505    1

The South Americans were very evident this year.  Also the Mexicans
were more numerous.  By Saturday morning I had more South American
multipliers (6) than European multipliers (4).  Also, my observation
is that there was considerably fewer stations operating this year as
the band never looked full on the waterfall displays.

AA1K mentioned hearing a ZL working CE1/K7CA but not otherwise hearing
any ZLs.  I had the same experience last year.  Perhaps there is a ZL
opening earlier in the evening but ZL can't hear us for some reason so
they don't call.

I had plans to erect another 4 by 2 element broad-side / end-fire
phased array, but I spent too much time working and contesting rather
than antenna building.  As a last ditch effort, I put up a second
two-wire Beverage parallel to and 400 feet east of my N/S Beverage.
The intention was to beam steer the pair of N/S Beverages (looks
reasonable in Eznec) but I never got a chance to finish that project.

The purpose of a second phased array would be to obtain very nice
directivity in directions not well covered by the current array.
Also, the new array would presumably help get an accurate bearing on
that annoyingly persistent but intermittent northwest power line
noise.  Also, weapons of mass directivity are fun to build.  Maybe
next year.

I started the contest with 2 channels of diversity on the phased array
receiver and 2 channels of diversity on the K3 with the Beverages,
using a toggle switch between the two audio sources.  But my fingers
got sore.  I also noticed that the phased array could hear to the
south better than the Beverages, despite the northwest noise (which is
audible beaming south because the phased array becomes bi-directional
at right angles to its preferred orientation) if I chose the heading
carefully (placing a null over the noise heading).

During the half-time break, I added another operator convenience to
the phased array software.  This new lazy man's device allows
switching the heading to some number of preset bearings.  After a CQ,
I can just poke one button repeatedly rather than poking several
buttons in the proper sequence.  So for the second night, I used the
phased array exclusively, except for the 2 JAs at Sunday sunrise.  In
the past, this arrangement hasn't worked very well, possibly because
the northwest noise may come from more than one direction.

K8ND loaned me his P3 to use with the K3.  Since I already have the
phased array SDR receiver setup, the extra view of the band wasn't
very helpful.  The P3 shines, though, when chasing DXpeditions on
bands other than 160 where I don't have an SDR receiver.  I'll have to
build an SDR receiver to use in place of the P3 when Jeff comes back
from afar.

Surprise multipliers: HK0/m and T32 both called me when I didn't
expect them.  Old Slashdot proverb: in Soviet Russia, the DXpedition
chases you.

DX worked: 5B, 6Y, 9A (2), C6 (2), CE, CT (4), CX, DL (18), E7, EA
(5), EA8, EI, ES, F (2), FM, G (10), GI, GJ, GW (3), HA (3), HB, HC,
HI (2), HK0/m, I (7), JA (2), KH6 (2), KP2 (3), LU, LX, OA, OK (10),
OM (2), ON (3), OZ, PA (4), PJ2, PY (4), S5 (6), SM, SP (2), SV, T32,
V3 (2), VK, XE (6), YU (2).  Missing: CM, CN, CT3, CU, ER, EU, GM,
KL7, KP4, UA, UR, YO and many others.

Equipment: K3, P3 (temporary loan, thanks Jeff), ETO 91B (somewhat
less temporary loan, thanks Jeff), 2x4 BS/EF phased array SDR receiver
thingy, 12 Beverages, 2 computers, blue glowing knob, old man, no
keyer.


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