[3830] TBDC OT6M Multi-Op LP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

Call: OT6M
Operator(s): ON9CC PC5A
Station: OT6M

Class: Multi-Op LP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 13

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 318  Total Score = 2,115

Club: Bavarian Contest Club

Comments:

It's been a while since Frank-ON9CC and I participated in this contest, one of
our favourites!

Last time was in 2015 were we used 5 beverages between 200 and 300m long about
2m high (4 reversible and one single) and a K9AY for RX; for TX a 18m top loaded
vertical (spiderpole). In that contest we noticed we could hear many stations
that were not hearing us at all... Our TX signal was not strong enough, we
concluded.

In the past years the antennas changed to some extend. We replaced the 18m top
loaded vertical by an INV-L hung up along a 26m spiderpole and used several
rolls of chicken wire to lower the ground resistance. For RX we added a Hi-Z 4-8
Pro 8-Circle RX array and removed two reversible and one single beverage. Mind
you that all RX and TX antennas except the K9AY are temporary. Between mid of
Feb and some time end of Nov beginning of Dec the field behind Frank's house is
used by a farmer who keeps cows. We were lucky by a period of good weather to
set everything up before Xmas.

The days before the contest the band was so alive. Frank worked KL7 and the
state of OR as ATNO's and heard several JA's and many US states in the morning
hours. Would we have that in this contest?

Frank started at 17:29Z. I arrived later (I had something in the oven that I
promised to bring and it took a little more time to complete than expected, but
I think it was worth it, haha).  As of 19:15Z we both manned the station until
we stopped. The gray line was over VK2-VK4 and entered KL7... We constantly
tuned across the band from top to bottom and the other way around. Nothing from
those corners, the furthest station heard and worked (vy loud) was UA9LDD. He
picked us up immediately. Just after 20:30Z I started my S&P round at 1810
and heard JA1YBK very clearly (both on the 35deg bev and the 8-circle), who was
calling cq many many times without working anything. Of course I tried to call
him but without luck. We hoped for his sunrise peak but needed to wait. Until
his sunrise (21:57Z) we checked and checked but he never got stronger and our
attempts to call him remained unsuccessful. I wonder if 10-12dB more output
power would have done it... Anyway, it was good we heard him because if you
don't hear them you will never work them, right?

Being in the LP category forces you into S&P mode. We still tried to call CQ
between 21-22Z and especially during the first minutes we logged 2-3 QSO's per
minute. That was a nice surprise. Of course that dried up quickly and after
50min 39 stations were logged on the same frequency, with a few 9 pointers. The
Inv-L must be radiating an audible signal with just 100W :-)

At 22:34Z finally some real DX, N5DX, soon followed by W2GD (who was loud
throughout the whole contest!) both worth 20 points. 
As time progressed the first station from the mid-west was WB9Z a bit before
00:00Z. That took some time to complete. From that moment on it became a real
struggle. Hourly rates of 12, 3, 10, 9, 8 followed. Then we got our ODX (24
points): K9OM in the tip of FL. Nothing from the west. In fact the furthest west
we got was EM45 square... I suppose propagation was not good enough for those 
DM-DN-DL squares. From the Caribbean only KV4 and NP2 were heard and worked.
Let's see how it is in the CQ160CW.

We compared the 8C with the bevs a lot and there was no favourite. At times the
8C would be better, then the bevs. So we will continue to use both systems.
Being able to select different RX antennas through the RAS8x2 on both
transceivers is a big help and will remain part of the setup for sure.

It is such a delight to finally start a contest by switching everything on,
sitting down, open the log program, select the contest and just start, hi!

A short summary:
QSO US+VE:     50+4
QSO DL:        44
QSO UA:	       23
GRIDS US+VE:   30+4
MAX QSO GRIDS: FN42, JN69, JO60, KN06 (6 QSO's each)
GRIDS TOTAL:   192 

Seeing some results from EU (e.g HB9DDO who also used a vertical and an 8C), we
worked a lot of North America, surprisingly... It lifts our spirits for the next
contest where we'll enter with the usual 1500W max.

Station:  IC7800 and Orion (interlocked)
Antennas: 
   TRX: inverted-L on 26m Spiderpole
   RX:  Hi-Z 4-8 Pro 8-Circle
        300m reversible beverage 315°-135°
        240m reversible beverage 35°-215°
        K9AY

CU in CQ160CW.

73
-- Aurelio, PC5A & Frank, ON9CC


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