[3830] TBDC K1LT Single Op HP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge - Dec 26

Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 14
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 882  Total Score = 3,661

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Two days before the contest start, terrible power line noise erupted:
the noise of nightmares.  Santa put coal in my stocking.  Almost
exactly 24 hours later, the noise abruptly stopped while I was
watching it on a waterfall.  The noise has not subsequently returned.
Lesson: I shall perform no more Santa impersonations.

I tried again to use my new phased array receiving system in a
contest.  I had improved the software since last year and had I high
hopes.  However, I failed to take note of the issues from last year's
attempt and I rediscovered a serious problem.

The new system works, but it has different latency than the old
system.  Therefore I cannot listen to the same signal on both systems
at the same time without hearing a severe echo which masks fast CW.
So after a few minutes I stopped using the new system.

To test my station, I operated for about half an hour using the club
call K8MAD.  K8MAD made 51 contacts in 31 minutes from about 2100z to
2130z.  I'll submit that log as a checklog.  Maybe it will be golden
(no busts).

With my own call, the rate for the first 5 hours remained above 100
per hour.  First DX has OM5ZW at 2224z.  More DX contacts trickled in
relatively slowly.  I had to frequently tweak my run frequency to avoid
hearing S57AL who apparently could not hear me (I never did work him).
Around 0230z, the DX started to get more frequent.  Around 0300z I had
to move up the band to avoid QRM.

I took 2 short breaks (no official off time) for food and drink.  Eu
sunrise did not create a noteworthy run.  After Eu sunrise I found
about a half dozen UK stations by searching.  I stayed up until past
0900z hoping for some ZL action like last year, but alas.

I took a 2 hour nap at 0913z as the band looked empty and the rate was
very low.  When I returned at 1111z, the band was almost full.

The last 2 hours did not produce any new DX nor did I hear anyone
working DX.  I did work another half dozen or so stations west of
0-land.

Here is the annual propagation and participation "trends" table:

        raw     raw    points  cooked  cooked  points  cooked-raw
year   QSOs    score  per QSO   QSOs   score  per QSO     ratio

2005    491     2033    4.14    483     2439    5.05      1.22
2006    604     2224    3.68    didn't submit log in time
2007    691     3712    5.37    669     4293    6.42      1.19
2008    633     3328    5.26    617     3895    6.31      1.20
2009    761     4006    5.26    737     4871    6.61      1.26
2010    642     2477    3.86    623     2931    4.70      1.22
2011    656     2501    3.81    642     3169    4.94      1.27
2012    679     3214    4.73    667     3986    5.97      1.24
2013    723     3559    4.92    710     4525    6.37      1.30
2014    667     1937    2.90    655     2474    3.77      1.28
2015    620     1934    3.12    614     2440    3.97      1.27
2016    759     3381    4.45    742     4204    5.66      1.27
2017    antenna feedline disaster - quit with only 101 QSOs
2018    785     3587    4.57    764     4238    5.55      1.18
2019    828     4947    5.97    809     5846    7.23      1.21
2020    882     3661    4.15

Note: the raw numbers are before log checking while the cooked numbers
are after log checking.  The cooked numbers exclude busted QSOs and
include the per-QSO multiplier for low power and QRP contacts.  Note
that the score "boost" for low power and QRP QSOs seems to hover
around 20% while the points per QSO goes up and down with propagation
trends.

(Note that the table looks terrible in the 3830 "comments" summary,
but looks OK when viewed as a post in the archives.)

DX worked: 9A (3), CT, DL (20), ES, F (3), G (10), GI, GM (4), GW, HA
(3), I (2), KH6 (4), KP2 (3), LY (8), OH (5), OK (7), OM (3), ON (5),
OZ, PA (3), S5 (5), SM (7), SP (3), UA, UR (5), XE (2), YL (3), YU
(2), and ZF for a total of 117 DX QSOs with 29 entities; about half of
last year's DX count.

Equipment: Elecraft K3S, P3, K3, P3, Alpha 8410, homebrew SO2R stuff,
too many computers, 60-foot "tee" vertical over 70 125-foot radials,
2x4 broadside end-fire array of short verticals and SDR receivers for
beam steering to the east, 2x3 broadside end-fire array of short
verticals and SDR receivers for beam steering to the west, and 2x2
broadside end-fire array of short verticals to the north or south (not
used).


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