[3830] CQ160 CW N6WG Single Op QRP

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                    CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW

Call: N6WG
Operator(s): N6WG
Station: N6WG

Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: Newark CA
Operating Time (hrs): 22

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 178  State/Prov = 37  Countries = 6  Total Score = 17,220

Club: Northern California Contest Club

Comments:

This was fun for me, after missing the 2010 and 2011 runnings.  Thought I did
pretty well, until I looked at my previous scores.  This is my second best
outing, 1600 points behind my 2009 effort.

Got off to a reasonably good start Friday night and Sat morning.  But Sat night
and Sun morning was a big disappointment.  Found I had worked nearly everyone I
was hearing.  Condx didn't seem as good as they had been Fri night, either.  I
wonder if the solar burst affected us on 160.

The high points of the contest for me were working PJ2T and T32XX.  T32XX must
be my best 160m DX so far.  I've also worked JA in the past, but not sure of
the comparative distances.

The station is the usual K3/10 at 5w, and my 160-80-40m 60 ft top-loaded
vertical with overhead counterpoise.  I tell people I'm using a piece of wire
held up on a big plastic stick.

In my quest to overcome the noisy (lousy) rf environment here, I've tried
several receiving antennas such as low dipoles, rotary loops tuned untuned or
terminated, and a Flag.  The noise seems to come from all around me, so loops
can't find a noise null.

I discovered that if I put a variable attenuator between the RX OUT and RX IN
ports on the K3, I can knock down the total signal level to where it no longer
overwhelms the receiver and I can start to receive (relatively) weak signals
again.  Both PJ2T and T32XX fit that description here.  This certainly made a
difference in being able to work several stations that were just above ESP
level.  Also made it more fun for me, as I wasn't worn down from listening to
loud noise.

Now on to the ssb run next month.  Hope to see most of you there.
Thanks for all the Qs and 73
Bob N6WG
The Little Station with Attitude


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