[3830] ARRL 160 K3ZM Single Op HP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: K3ZM
Operator(s): K3ZM
Station: K3ZM

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: VA
Operating Time (hrs): 29

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1557  Sections = 80  Countries = 43  Total Score = 502,947

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Here is my contest summary.  For those interested, a Christmas story follows.

My best DX this weekend was actually on Friday morning before the contest. 
Thank goodness for Jon, AA1K.  With his faithful DXing, he made it evident to
all alert listeners that JA’s were rolling in just before our sunrise like 30
foot waves on a remote Hawaiian beach.  That was all the suggestion I needed. 
One CQ later from me and I had 8 JA’s in the log, plus HL5 and RA0FF.  The
signals ranged from 579 to 599.  I had never experienced this before and was
very excited.  As it happens, I did not end up working any of those multipliers
during the contest, but was still glad for the experience.

The sun chased away all the DX and brought forth a lovely morning with
unseasonably warm temperatures.  This steadily changed throughout the day as it
got progressively more cloudy and much colder.  Weather was moving in and
bringing wind along for the ride.  I worried about all those ropes and wires,
but as it happens there were no failures and the incoming storm did not have
any meaningful impact on my ability to hear.

The first several hours brought high rates, as usual.  This year, I maintained
my cumulative average of 100 per hour through the first 8 hours.  The EU run at
my sunset was pretty good and 20 or so countries went into the log in the first
couple of hours.  The band was very crowded and a newly-sharpened pattern on my
Xmit antenna made it challenging to hold a frequency.  Later in the contest, I
began using my second generation Xmit antenna often, which has an omni pattern
to it.  Plus, I tried to switch directions a lot.  As Friday evening
progressed, I found myself sharing space with a number of new friends.  “I
haven’t had this many roommates since college!” I thought to myself.  But
it all worked out in the end.

The EU run at their sunrise on Friday evening was fairly productive and I had
worked 150 EU’s by the midway point in the competition, versus 130 last year.
 My most exciting DX was T32RC at 0935Z.  Thanks for the call!  KH6AT was
remarkably loud at only 0441Z when he called in.  A whisper of a KL7RA called
at 0946Z.  Thanks, Rich.  I was filled with hope as sunrise approached on
Saturday morning, but no joy.  I did not work any VK, ZL or Asia during this
contest.  No UA9, for example.

At bedtime Saturday morning, I had 1,040 contacts and 80 sections but only 35
countries.  My score was 291,985 at that point.  I faced very stiff competition
and knew that only a miracle of Earthly magnetism could give me a chance to win,
so I concentrated on trying to improve on last year’s score.

I was back on the air by 3 PM local time on Saturday.  I had much better luck
with my CQ frequency the second night and had a decent run of EU’s at my
sunset.  I am sure that EU was coming in nicely all evening but they just were
not on the air.  So, I spent a lot of time beaming energy toward the heart of
North America in the hopes of getting to 1,600 contacts.  The West Coast was
coming in pretty well and I put lots of QSO’s into the log, but never got LAX
or EB.  Lots of VE’s on during this contest.  That was nice.

There was a lovely sustained run of EU’s as their sunrise approached.  Some
were mere whispers and others were truly 599.  I had all listening arrays
trained on EU and painstakingly sorted out the callsigns of the weakest
stations.  I apologize for the few that I never got.  By the end, I had worked
a total of 322 EU’s.  Here is how my most important numbers compare in recent
years:

2009   433 EU’s
2010   366
2011   203
2012   244
2013   322

I am grateful for the faithful friends who went out of their way to call in. 
Nice to hear from brother K2DM and AD4J.  As always, a number of eminent
contesters thoughtfully got on the air to hand out contacts to the weary
entrants.  K1AR, K5ZD and K1DG come to mind, along with countless others.  Come
to think of it, I actually never worked Fred, K3ZO.  That’s a first.  But a
few people during the contest called me Fred, so that will have to do.  I have
learned to respond equally well to being called Peter, Fred or Jeff.

This is the most difficult Topband contest for me.  But it is fun to face the
challenge and keep trying.  Thanks for all the contacts, and Happy Holidays to
all.

73,

Peter  K3ZM


“The Grinch Who Stole ARRL 160,” by K3ZM

From the viewing room atop his lighthouse on Buzzard’s Island, the Grinch
peered down across the saltwater toward the mainland.  “They’re back,” he
said to his young apprentice with annoyance.

Every year, it was the same.  A group of eager radio operators who called
themselves K2 Alpha Zulu appeared in December and intruded on the Grinch’s
domain.  They started showing up a week or two before the Big Event and there
would be no peace for another few weeks.  They ran wires all over the place,
calling and shouting to one another above the noise of the constant ocean
breezes.  They were always holding compasses, tape measures and wire cutters. 
In recent years, they had begun putting up numerous small vertical aluminum
tubes all over the beach and marsh.  In general, they were an obnoxious
presence.

The Grinch was vexed.  What bothered him most was their joy and enthusiasm,
especially when their event was over.  They always went out for breakfast at a
nearby pancake house to celebrate after each night of successful operation. 
Using his powerful telescope, the Grinch observed them through the large
windows of the restaurant.  They always seemed so dreadfully happy.  He hated
it.  So, the Grinch devised a plan.  He would steal their precious ARRL 160
contest and put an end to all that disgusting happiness!

The team at K2AZ was a committed group.  They did not all claim to be the
world’s best operators, but they could hold their own; and that was not the
point, anyway.  Every year, they would put on a Field Day-style operation in
the ARRL 160 contest in December from a marshy location on the mainland in
Southern Metropolis.  Their principal objectives were camaraderie and fun,
within the framework of making a highly competitive entry in the multi-operator
category of this contest.  Their operation was an annual tradition, and stations
from all over the world were accustomed to hearing and working K2AZ in this
event.  They were a veritable beacon.  Moreover, they were often the only
station that distant operators were able to work for the Southern Metropolis
multiplier.  It took them a couple of weeks every year to fix antennas, develop
new systems and prepare for their operation.  This year, they had everything set
up and working by Thursday at noon and then they went back to their homes.  They
would return in the early afternoon on Friday for last-minute preparations.

At first light on Friday morning, the Grinch set out across Osprey Cove toward
the mainland.  His Apprentice pulled and steered their large wooden rowboat. 
Upon landing, they immediately went to work.  First, they dismantled all the
aluminum tubes on the beach and in the marsh.  Then they disabled K2 Alpha
Zulu’s massive transmit antenna.  The Grinch could tell that this was a
centerpiece of their operation, as they were always playing with it.  It was an
array of wires strung from a very high tower that once served as an antenna for
the Coast Guard.  The Apprentice climbed the tall tower and excised the
radiator wires, tossing them to the ground.  The Grinch and the Apprentice then
gained entry to the operating shack.  Once there, they removed every computer,
every transceiver, and each of the amplifiers.  They moved with dispatch.  It
was well before noon as the Apprentice rowed them back to Buzzard’s Island. 
He strained with the heavy weight of the radio equipment.  At last, they
arrived.

The Grinch returned to his viewing room and smiled with deep satisfaction.  He
could not wait for them to arrive and see that their blessed operation had been
summarily canceled.

By 1800Z, the operators from K2AZ began to arrive.  They realized instantly
that something was amiss, as the listening verticals were gone.  Their concern
quickly turned to horror when they entered the building.  Their operation had
been brutally vandalized!

The Grinch gazed through his telescope with great pleasure.

“Now they’re reduced to watching TV on Hulu
For I have ripped out the heart of K2 Alpha Zulu!”

A moment later, the Team Leader of K2AZ arrived.  Their situation was
immediately made clear.  The faces of his teammates reflected a mixture of
shock, bewilderment and anger.  The Team Leader quickly reviewed the grounds
and appraised their situation.  Within a few minutes, he knew what to do. 
Whoever had vandalized them did not know about the Beverage antennas.  This
gave them hope.

“Peter, don’t you have a transceiver in your car?” the Team Leader
asked.

“Yes.  And I have a portable paddle for CW,” Peter replied.  “I also
happen to carry a switching power supply in the trunk in case I want to operate
portable.”

The Team Leader began passing out responsibilities.  They had plenty of wire
and tools stored in the building, so two of them quickly began installing a
vertical antenna which would hang off the tower.  Fortunately, the vandals had
left the coax that ran to the transmitting antenna.  They happened to have a
fine radial field surrounding the tower already in place.

One of the team members had an iPad.  Lacking any computers, this would have to
serve as their logging tool.  He downloaded a software application for logging
their contacts.  A logger would have to record the contacts while the operator
handled the radio.  They didn’t have any headphones.  The built-in speaker
would have to do.

By 2130Z, they had a working station in place.  Thank goodness their
transceiver had a Receive Antenna input!  The Beverages were working fine. 
They would have to run low power and it was a bit of a patchwork operation, but
K2AZ was up and running.

The Grinch squinted his eyes as he looked across Osprey Cove.  What were they
doing down there?!  They should have left by now, with long expressions on
their faces.  What on Earth do they think they are doing?  He became very
agitated and cursed at his Apprentice, who slinked off into the corner of the
viewing room.

2200Z was approaching.  The operating team looked once again to their leader
for direction.  How would they approach the contest?  They would be operating
with one arm tied behind their back.  Years of work put into fine-tuning and
improving their transmit antenna had been wiped out, and they would be
operating with 7% of their usual power.  Sunset was upon them.  Europeans were
already coming through.

“I know what to do,” the Team Leader declared.  “Let me get us started. 
We will have to send manually for the whole contest.  My sending is getting a
bit rough in my advancing years.”

“It wasn’t that good when you were young,” Gerry said.

“Shut up,” he replied with a smile.

The Team Leader moved well up the band.  The bottom of 160 meters would be
crowded with EU stations.  They needed to find a spot where they had at least a
chance of being heard in EU.  He found an open spot on about 1870 and began
calling CQ.  As the clock turned over to 2200Z, K2AZ began its contest
operation.  Not surprisingly, the stations responding were largely from the
eastern portion of North America.  They had a good signal across the center of
the East Coast and they began logging many contacts.  But K2 Alpha Zulu had
only a fraction of its usual robust signal.

Far to the southwest, one of the outstanding mult operators at the Death Star
was swiftly combing through the band, looking for quick contacts and possible
multipliers.  He noticed K2AZ CQing way up in the band.  “What are they doing
up here?  And why is their signal so soft?” he asked his operating mate,
another World Champion.

“Maybe they finally got their transmitting antenna working well.  They should
be beaming EU for the sunset opening,” he answered.

“It doesn’t have THAT good a front to back!  Something is wrong with K2AZ. 
Let’s help these guys out.  Spot them.”

“Okay, done.  Merry Christmas, K2AZ.”

Within a few minutes, a well-known multi-operator station in Ireland noticed
the spot.  “That’s funny.  It’s K2AZ.  But they did not show up on the EU
skimmers.  I wonder what’s going on.”

The multiplier station moved up to 1870 and listened closely.  Yes, sure
enough, there was K2AZ, but only about 559.  They should be much stronger,
especially at this time of the evening.  As soon as the mult guy got the
chance, he quickly dumped in their callsign.  Bingo.  K2AZ immediately replied.
 “Well, whatever is going on with these guys, I guess they can still hear
well.”  Into the log they went.  “You know, I’m not sure people are going
to find them up here.  I think I’ll spot them.  Merry Christmas, lads!”

In a few moments, things began to get very exciting at K2AZ.  First, two other
EU stations had alertly noticed the powerful station in Ireland working them. 
Second, they had now been spotted by stations in North America and Europe. 
Stations in EU began calling.  K2AZ was not that strong, but they were strong
enough to get across the pond and they could hear a pin drop.  A steady stream
of DX stations began to go into the log.  At this point the Team Leader got up
from the chair.  “Okay, guys.  Do what you’re best at.”

As the evening progressed, K2AZ turned its attention to North America.  With
their full-sized omni-directional antenna by the coastline, they also got lots
of calls from South America and the Caribbean.  Thank goodness for their system
of Beverage antennas.  When EU sunrise approached, they did it all over again. 
After that, they managed to work KH6.  Not only were they compiling a very
respectable score, but they were passing out the Southern Metropolis multiplier
to hundreds of stations and they were maintaining the goodwill and tradition of
their operation.  Their position on 1870 was never challenged, partly out of
respect for these things.

The Grinch could see through the window into their operating shack.  He was
terribly confused.  Why were they so animated?  Why had they not gone home? 
After sunrise, the operators emerged and headed for their usual breakfast. 
They all had huge smiles.  Over pancakes and bacon, they toasted each other
with brisk cups of coffee.  Their first night had been a huge success.  A full
900 contacts were in the log, and many of them were DX stations.

At this moment, a very strange thing happened.  A beam of light entered the
viewing room from the east, casting a glow over the Grinch.  He felt a surge of
warmth and heard the sound of angels in a chorus of melody.  His face broke into
an involuntary smile as he began to understand.  The spirit of the Christmas
season started to fill his heart, which swelled until it was the size of a
3-1000Z.  He turned to his Apprentice and said, “We must get back to the
boat!”

They raced down to the water’s edge and set back across Osprey Cove. 
“Faster!  Row faster!” the Grinch implored.  The Apprentice pulled as hard
as he could.  Finally, they reached the shoreline.  As they tied up the
rowboat, the team members from K2AZ returned from breakfast.  The radio
operators got out of their cars and approached the Grinch, as they looked
toward the rowboat.  Their radio equipment was plainly visible.  The Team
Leader looked quite firmly at the Grinch.  At this point, things could have
become very ugly, but it was clear that their former vandal was peaceful.  The
Grinch had a sorrowful look in his eyes and a smile of apology written all over
his face.

The Team Leader spoke first.  “Why did you do this to us?”

“I did not understand,” replied the Grinch.  “I have seen how you
recovered from my dreadful act.  I realize now the goodwill that you are
spreading with your operation.  Please accept my sincere apology and let us
help restore your equipment.”

The Apprentice immediately began lifting the radio equipment out of the boat
and was quickly assisted by the team members of K2AZ, who were still scratching
their heads over this bizarre turn of events.  Within minutes, the transceivers,
amplifiers and computers had been put back in their positions.  It was still
quite early in the day.

One of the operators looked toward the Team Leader.  “What shall we do about
the transmit antenna?”

“Nothing.  The vertical has served us well.  We will go with it for the rest
of the weekend and pound out a signal in all directions,” he replied.  It was
fitting.

The Grinch became interested in their operation.  He was intrigued by the
principles of propagation.  One of the operators explained the advantage
created by the saltwater, prompting the Grinch to ask about his own location on
Buzzard’s Island.  “That would be perfect,” the operator explained. 
“And your lighthouse would make an ideal support structure for low band
antennas.”  The Team Leader then pointed out that their radio club offered
classes to help beginners pass their FCC exam.  The Grinch became excited about
getting into ham radio.

As sunset approached on Saturday, K2AZ was back on Topband and pummeling the
airwaves, running full power.  The extra operators were manning the secondary
and tertiary stations as usual.  All was back to normal.  As it happens,
conditions were even better on Saturday night, with good propagation and
virtually no noise.  By the time the sun rose on Sunday morning, the operators
had claimed their highest score ever.

The Grinch joined them at breakfast, and happily hosted their celebration.  His
life would be changed forever.

No one over spoke about what happened that weekend.  Alert observers simply
assumed that there had been some serious problem at K2AZ during the first night
�" another run in with Murphy.

After breakfast, the Grinch said farewell.  The Team Leader said, “I am glad
you had such a change of heart.”

“Both literally and figuratively,” replied the Grinch.  “Bless your team
and your operation.  Thank you for what you have taught me.”

“Merry Christmas,” said the Team Leader.

“Merry Christmas indeed.”

After this, the Grinch joined the team religiously for their annual event on
the shore of Osprey Cove.  He became an integral part of their operation and
also kept an eye on their antennas throughout the rest of the year.  This
continued for many seasons until he became a Silent Key.  To this day, an old,
unoccupied Hitchcock chair sits off in a corner of the operating room at K2AZ. 
On the seatback, painted in prominent green, is the letter “G.”


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