[3830] ARRL 160 EA7KW(@EA7PP) SO Unlimited HP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: EA7KW
Operator(s): EA7KW
Station: EA7PP

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 7:43

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 167  Sections = 55  Countries = 4  Total Score = 18,370

Club: EA Contest Club

Comments:

After the MS efforts in both CQWWDX I decided a rx improvement was needed in our
contest station. This contest was a good time to do some tests. 
Living in the southwesternmost area in Europe is nice for 10 m but on the other
hand on 160m the noise is horrid. According to the reports 
heard/read on our signal into NA during the past contests it seems that our
inverted L (25m up in a Spiderbeam fiber glass pole) with just 2 tuned 
elevated radials (zigzagged in the small plot) it is an efficient tx aerial. 

A nice neighbour, 3 houses away, with a half hectare smallholding with olive
and orange trees in it, let us set the rx antennas.
Last October we set in a clear between the trees a 4 directions K9AY loop with
a termination resistors array switchable from 390 to 680 Ohms.
It works well on 160 (not as good on 80) but not enough to pull out weak to mid
sigs in the constant s9+15 noise (on the L). I spent half of the
time S&P.

Not having room for a Beverage, the day before this contest started I placed a
BOG, 67.2 metre long pointed to NA. The worst thing is to arrange
the 200 metre of coax and control cables along the road and fences, I ended up
shattered. 

Propagation conditions were not bad during the first part of Friday night, bad
on my sr, and the remote relay to change from K9AY loop the
new BOG didn't work so I ran on the K9 and couldn't compare them. Didn't heard
any 6 however W7BEM and N7GP were really loud from Az.
Eastern coastal stations, like VY1ZM, W1WMU, W2GD ... had a perennial stable
and strong sig, but most on others showed a deep QSB. 
I wish NA stns could pay more attention to the dx, it was difficult to break
the domestic pile-up on many ocassions.

Saturday night the propagation was far worse here (K index rised to 3) but had
the relay fixed. Comparison between the K9 and BOG was interesting. 
The BOG is quieter, making the reception more confortable and could hear
stations I could not on the loop, it was a shame the conditions didn't 
help to play more with it. Maybe next tests are needed to be done with a Hi-Z.

Contest ended for me on Sunday morning with 167 Q and 55 sections. Missed
Sunday sr, I felt asleep hi.
Sorry to those I could not pull out of the noise and thanks all for calling and
for your patiencie.

73
Jose, EA7KW


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