[3830] ARRL 160 N3HEE SO Unlimited HP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: N3HEE
Operator(s): N3HEE
Station: N3HEE

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: MD
Operating Time (hrs): 25

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 845  Sections = 76  Countries = 19  Total Score = 157,885

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

I am only running 500 watts with very modest antennas so I cant compete in the
HP category. I do it so I can work some DX and west coast stations and
experiment with diversity RX and antennas. Probably should try LP or QRP next
year?

I did better (by nearly 15K points) this year by working 5 more countries and a
few more Q's.  I took some time off early Saturday evening to have dinner with
XYL and watch our Clemson Tigers win the ACC championship. They went 13-0 this
year !!

The highlight was being called by KH6AT during one of my runs early Sunday
morning at 09Z.  He was surprisingly strong. I also had lots of fun working 6
UK/EU countries one after another on Saturday evening. They were very strong
and I was able to break small pile ups to get them.  Much better conditions to
EU/UK on Saturday night. I worked 76 sections missing WTX,LAX,SB,SF,SJV,AK
& NT.  I did see AK spotted early Saturday morning but could not hear him
well enough to even try to work him. I need AK to complete my 160 WAS.  Never
saw or heard NT.  

I had some local QRN on Friday night.  Neighbors plasma TV and some pulsing AC
line noise.  I haven't heard that TV or AC line noise for months but it
appeared Friday night just in time for the test! Thankfully Saturday night was
QRN free. 

I decided to try SO2V (for the first time) on Saturday evening once things
calmed down enough that I could concentrate on both VFO's. That was allot of
fun and I made many S&P new spot contacts while holding my run frequency. I
will continue to develop that skill !

Friday night I was experimenting with my new 200 foot "bent" BOG and
found a very good combination using diversity RX that really helped me hear the
weak ones.  I used the BOG on the second RX with ATT off with RF gain wide open
and the Inverted L on the main RX with ATT on and RF gain at mid way and NR
turned on. I could not use this setup on Saturday night because I needed the
second RX for SO2V operation.  

Gear was K3 at 500 watts.  TX antenna was Inverted L with K2AV FCP.  RX antenna
was 200 foot bent (70 feet SE and 130 feet NE) BOG. N1MM+ Logger. NaP3 pan
adapter. 

Joe 
N3HEE


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/