[3830] CQ160 SSB K3ZM Single Op HP

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CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB

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

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Virginia
Operating Time (hrs): 27

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 945  State/Prov = 58  Countries = 48  Total Score = 367,502

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

"Oh, Zeus, great lord of the sky, I beseech thee!  Calm thy angry storms
that I might hear these stations who are calling me."

At the start of the competition, the resting QRN level was about 15DB over S9
with crashes peaking 20DB to 25DB over S9.  It was reminiscent of a couple of
years ago, when Friday night was the most painful experience of all time. 
Nonetheless, we all soldiered on and did our best to make the contacts that we
could.  As before, I needed to point only one antenna at the station that
seemed to be calling me, in an attempt to glean his callsign on Friday night. 
My hours on Friday evening started out as follows:

90
86
69
70
69
41

It was really rough going.  So many fills were required.

Only a few EU stations were worked during my sunset period.  However, by the
end of EU sunrise, I managed, with great effort, to put 79 EU QSO's in the log.
 There were so many ups and downs.  Many thanks to the EU stations for their
patience with all the fills.  It was rough going.

At bedtime Saturday morning, my totals were as follows:

581 QSOs  35 Countries  55 States/Provinces  and 179,550 points.

I hoped I would come back on the second night, although the weather report was
ominous.

Here is my report on Saturday afternoon:

The time is about 4:30 PM local time here in Virginia.  I am on the 160 meter
band, getting ready for the second night of activity.  The QRN has a resting
level of 20DB over S9, with peaks of 50DB over S9 on my XMIT antenna.  A
lightning storm is approaching.  I tune the radio and can find not a single
station on 160 meters.  The sky begins to erupt in an eerie blue and orange
glow as lightning strikes hit the area.  The sky flashes in blue.  160 meters
is bedlam.  No hams can be found.

GET BACK ON THE BAND, YOU COWARDS!

Where is everybody?!  This is the 160 meter phone contest!  You signed up for
mayhem and torture the moment you even considered even operating in this
torturous affair!  Get on the air and make some QSOs!

Well, in defense of my sensible comrades, I myself punted and did not return to
the band until 2330Z Saturday evening.  From that point on, I stayed in the
chair until 1200Z Sunday morning.

Saturday evening was very rough going.  The storm moved on quickly after
sunset, but here at my station, the resting QRN level never got below S6 until
EU sunrise Sunday morning.  Copying any of the EU stations was quite a
challenge.

Multipliers missed were:  PY, CX, GM, GW, GD, CU, VO1, VO2, KH6, KL7, UA9, VK,
ZL.

Best DX was 7Z1SJ.

The most fun part of the contest was working nephew Patrick, KK6ZM, brother
George K2DM in Florida, and college buddy Jim, AD4J.  Also props to Wayne, N4FP
in Florida.  All were copied through the significant QRN.

This weekend was a crazy affair.  Congratulations to all the stations who
braved the insane atmospheric conditions.

Many thanks to all who called in.

73,

Peter  K3ZM


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