[3830] ARRL 160 N1LN M/S HP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: N1LN
Operator(s): N4CW N3ND WA4PSC N1LN
Station: N1LN

Class: M/S HP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 36

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1506  Sections = 81  Countries = 51  Total Score = 485,100

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

If I remember correctly there is a very popular book that starts out referencing
The Best of Times and The Worst of Times. I think the same comments apply to
this years ARRL DX 160 CW contest. Not wanting to end on a downer, let me start
out with The Worst of Times. I can not remember participating in any contest
with higher static crashes that just seemed to go on for ever. They rolled from
one crash to the next with little to absolutely no break between them. Combine
that with the local weather forecast for thunder and lightening storms,
originally scheduled to start at 2200 UTC Saturday and continue through the
night until 1400 UTC Sunday. Fortunately, the storm forecast continued to get
pushed out and, as of the time I am writing this, it has still not hit our part
of North Carolina. OK, enough of that. I am sure that anyone that participated
this weekend has the headache to show for it so let us move on!

The Best of Times were a very sharp contrast to the Worst of Times. The EU
openings on both nights were outstanding. Our sixth QSO of the contest was with
EU and it was only 2203 UTC. The EU Qs continued throughout the evening but
really picked up at the EU sunrise. It was nice to still have a relatively quite
band for a couple of hours to build up the 5 point QSO total. By the end of the
first night we had 98 five point Qs in the log. Soon after the EU Qs stopped the
QRN levels went virtually through the roof. Copy to the west was next to
impossible but we persevered. There was no way a JA or KL7 QSO would be in the
log on Friday night to Saturday morning. After a relaxing lunch and some always
enjoyable conversation we got back on the air. Saturday night started off slow
and QRN heavy and stayed that way. We did not get the early EU opening like on
Friday, but that was OK based on the outstanding opening at the EU sunrise. By
the end of the contest another 123 five pointers were in the log for a total of
221. NOTE: Our entire team would like to pass along a BIG THANK YOU for the very
patient EU Ops that hung around while we continued to either send a ? or agn agn
several times. This is especially true if the Q turned out to add to our
multiplier total! By the end we never heard or worked NT or KL but did finally
manage to work a JA as our last mult on Sunday morning around 1115 UTC. Skimmer
showed a couple from west coast spots that were both under strong east coast
stations. About 3 minutes later Bert was called by a JA. Log the Q, count the
Mult and DONE!!!

As always the team had fun spending the weekend together competing with the
other multi-op stations, sharing a few drinks, lies and perhaps a sarcastic
comment or twelve!   

Finally, I think all participants that hung in there for the entire QRN fest
deserve a pat on their back.  The Multi-Single ops had some down time when not
operating, but the single ops, WOW – well done all!

Equipment: 
Single K3 – Acom 2000A
2 Inverted Ls that are bent a few times, 4 elevated radials each and phased with
a Comtek box
Several Beverages (wire and otherwise)

Hope to be back together for CQWW-160 CW in January.

73,
Bert – N4CW
Dan – N3ND
Howie – WA4PSC
Bruce – N1LN


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