[3830] CQ160 CW AC6DD Single Op HP

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                    CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW

Call: AC6DD
Operator(s): AC6DD
Station: AC6DD

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 25

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 759  State/Prov = 57  Countries = 19  Total Score = 221,768

Club: 

Comments:

This year's Lighthouse Contest operation almost didn't happen since my friend
Jim Boucher passed away recently.  
He was in charge of the Lighthouse site, and with the help of volunteers was
the driving force behind restoring the site and later opening it for public
tours.
I first met him in 2008 when I was looking for a new location after a pumping
station was built on my Pier.  
I got his office number from Hearst Castle, called him a week before CQ160 and
asked if I could come out and do a radio contest from there. 
He said: "Have you ever been out here? No? Here is the gate combo, come on
out, just don't give it to anybody." 
He was a great person and a big supporter of my 160m contest operation. He will
be missed.  

The band conditions at the Lighthouse seemed to vary quite a bit over the
weekend.   
On Friday the band started off with average conditions, but later it turned to
some bad static crashes which necessitated lots of repeats by callers.  
After a couple of hours the crashes were gone and the band was very quiet.   
I don't know where the static crashes came from, but the weather this weekend
was one of the nicest and warmest that I remember for the CQ160CW.  
IQ9UI was heard for several hours and finally made it in the log at their
sunrise, CS2F was pretty strong.
I heard S57DX and C5X, but could not get any response from them as they were
busy with east coast stations. UA2F just kept calling CQ.
I managed just over 500 contacts on the first night. 

On Saturday afternoon I power up the amplifier to get back into the Contest and
it shuts off during warmup.  It wouldn't turn on again.  
After the initial panic I started troubleshooting it on my trailer floor and
found the step start circuit not working. 
After some improvisation I was able to get it to turn on and continue.  
A lot of dead time on the second evening with only a couple hundred QSO made. 

I heard OK7K CQ-ing, got some response back, but no contact. IQ5TT was as
surprised to work CA as I was surprised hearing him. 
Heard a couple of EA's , no QSO. 

I managed four EU contacts vs zero last year, but the total DX count was less
this year due to lower Carribean and Oceania multipliers. 
My total score was higher mainly due to about 40 more JA Stations in the log.
In the USA I missed ME.
        
BY               2      
CT               2      
EA8              1      
HI               1      
HL               2      
I                1     
*IT9             1     
JA             127     
K              549     
KH6              3     
KL               4     
KP2              1     
KP4              1     
OA               1     
PJ2              1     
PY               3     
UA9              6     
VE              45     
VK               3     
VR               1     
XE               4  

K3, Alpha 8410, TX Vertical, RX4S

73,

Niko AC6DD


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