[3830] CQ160 CW K3ZM Single Op HP

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                    CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW

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

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

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1410  State/Prov = 60  Countries = 59  Total Score = 723,480

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Topband is like the game of golf.  You can hack your way around the course for
much of the round, swearing that you are going to give up this silly game, and
then you hit one flush on one of the last two holes and you cannot wait to come
back again for more punishment.  This happened to me on Saturday night with a
long, sustained EU run and, to a much greater degree, on Sunday morning.  I had
been delighted to work three JA's on Saturday morning - the most ever for me
during a 160 contest on any given morning.  Well, on Sunday morning, I worked
30 of them.  This was so far beyond any experience I have had on 160 that I am
still amazed.  They just kept calling over a period of nearly two hours, and
signals were often several S units above the noise.

The contest started off normally for this point in the solar cycle.  I worked 9
EU's by 0000Z, far less than in earlier years.  Signals from EU were okay, and
there was only mild noise.  My QSO totals for the first few hours were as
follows:

106
96
96
93
66
86

Propagation toward the West seemed fine, with many callers from W7 and W6, in
addition to a nice assortment of western VE stations.  But as the evening
progressed, it became clear that it was going to be a tough night trying to
work EU's.  The noise level increased - a combination of plain old QRN and some
sort of other Earthly noise.  The band simply was not quiet, and signals from EU
were not strong.  Toss in some amazing QSB and you have a really hard slog. 
Many apologies to the EU stations for the trouble in hearing you.  I somehow
managed to have 82 EU's after the first night, which is a pitifully low number.
 I worked a handful of our usual friends in KH6 and was really psyched to get
calls from 3 JA's on Saturday morning.  At bedtime, my totals were:

861 QSOs

40 Countries

59 States/Provinces

My score was pretty low.  It had been a difficult night.

Saturday evening was much more productive.  I worked 16 EU's by 0000Z and then
there was a very long string of EU callers from 0110Z until 0730Z.  Following
that, I was thrilled to be called by Ron, VK3IO, at 0938Z.  I had increased my
total EU count to 334 for the whole event.

I then knew something was up when JH2FXK called in with a strong signal at
1033Z.  I had never gotten called by a JA so early.  All of a sudden, I started
being answered by a long string of calls that I know quite well.  It was
exhilarating.

Never worked KL7 or ZL or ZS.  No UA9 or UA0.  Several PY stations and other
South America.

Had to leave the XYL back home alone on her birthday so I could operate this
weekend.  I will be teaching a class on this and other marital techniques at
Contest University this May in Dayton.  Register early!

Thanks to all who called in.  I am very grateful and, of course, have been
suckered into coming back for the next one.

73,

Peter  K3ZM


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