[3830] ARRL 160 N8II Single Op LP

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                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest - 2019

Call: N8II
Operator(s): N8II
Station: N8II

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: WV
Operating Time (hrs): 9.6

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 735  Sections = 68  Countries = 22  Total Score = 139,050

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

It never ceases to amaze me how low activity is normally on 160 vs. the high
level of CW contest activity. Possibly some of the allure is being able to work
so many stations fairly easily. There seems to be more stations active than ever
before.

I got off to a roaring start, running 170 stations in the first hour. For at
least half of that 1810.4 was absolutely clear and even when there was QRM,it
was no real impediment. After helping the XYL with dinner, the band was so full
of signals that running was much more difficult and less productive. I did work
over 100 Q's in the 01Z hour. For some reason I was just not motivated to keep
going, so I never ended up back in the shack after 0210Z Friday evening. It was
very difficult to hear any EU Friday. 

Saturday morning sunrise and after conditions did not sound that good; several
western USA stations well above my noise level could not hear me. But there were
plenty of stations out to about MN to work. Saturday evening, there was a very
pronounced sunset peak into EU. I heard a loud 2E0 calling someone and GB19YOTA
was very loud CQ'ing, but disappeared before I could get his attention. I tried
running around 1833 with decent NA results, but only a weak RL3A and very loud
TM6M answered CQ's. I kept a decent QSO rate through the evening with a
combination of S&P and running. It started getting tough around 0220Z to
find new Q's, but starting again from 0330Z-0450Z the rate picked up with more
western NA stations finding me. I was surprised when LU8DPM actually heard me
for best DX of test. Quite often he is louder and does not hear me outside of
contests. A vert few EU stations answered my CQ's as well and I found some more.
Searching for western NA mults and EU was difficult due to the very crowded
band. 

Top sections worked were OH and VA with 47 Q's, EPA 40, IL & MD 32, MI &
MN 27, and WNY 26 (heard many serious competitors there, WNY still ringing in my
head). Congrats to RL3A and YL2SM for outstanding RX antennas/good ops. Several
mults heard were not attempted seriously due to either being under a loud NA
station or having a big pile up. Loud CQ'ers were everywhere!

Thanks for all of the Q's. It was nice to meet old friends; John, K4BAI and I
have worked hundreds of times, and we added another. Another 10 hours worth of
operating would have been much less fun. My half sloper performed pretty well as
did most all of the ops worked.

73, Jeff

73, Jeff N8II


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