[3830] TBDC K1LT Single Op HP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge - Pre-Stew

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

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Ohio EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 9.5
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 405  Total Score = 1,553

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

I've been neglecting my station for many months while focusing nearly
all of my time on a work project, which has been in 'death march' mode
for the past few weeks.  Despite the lack of maintenance most of my
160 meter antennas held up reasonably well.  On the other hand the new
software defined phased array project has been stalled since last
winter.

The pair of 'umbrella verticals' (a useful name) serve to null the
signal from my transmit antenna so I can search while transmitting.
This antenna does not hear a lot of DX but it helps find new stations
to work while running (or trying to run).  Saturday morning the array
was working properly, providing about 30 db attenuation of my
transmit signal.

Saturday afternoon was nice enough that I mowed the radial field
around the transmit antenna.  Can't have tall grass soaking up all my
power!

Saturday evening when I sat down to operate I found the second radio
completely overloaded by my transmit signal.  For a long time I
thought there was something wrong with the transmit antenna, perhaps
because of all the recent discussion of 'microarcing' on the topband
reflector.  Eventually I found that with enough frequency separation
and patience I could still make a few contacts with the second radio.

Contact rates were decent and the DX arrived steadily with a strong
emphasis on northern and eastern Europe, which was a frequent
characteristic of last season.  RM4F was my best DX at 18 points (9000
km).

Towards western Europe sunrise, the QSO rate got low and I got sleepy
so I took a 4-hour nap.  When I returned to the radio at 1000z the
band seemed different.  The west coast seemed to be missing although a
couple of signals were still strong.  Maybe there weren't any Pacific
or East Asian signals encouraging the west coast people to stay up
late.

After about a dozen contacts, my 'west' phased array failed and the
'east' phased array jumped 1.3 kHz.  This behavior was completely
befuddling in my sleepy state (and not a good sign for 'cognitive
decline' as I age).  I operated for about another hour and then gave
up.

After another nap, I looked at my failures.  First, half of the
spotting antenna 'went away' which removes any nulling capability.
There was probably nothing different about my transmit signal.  The
'west' phased array went silent because the power supply circuit died
(no power LED).  I have not yet figured out why the 'east' receiver
changed.

Despite the problems, my score was the highest since 2016, which I
suspect is evidence of greater participation.

DX worked: DL (6), EA, EA6, F, G (2), I, KL (2), KP2 (3), KP4 (3), LA
(2), LY (2), LZ, OH (2), OK (3), OM, OZ, PA (2), S5, SM (5), SP, UA
(2), UR (4), XE, YL, and ZF.  The first Alaska seemed early at 0400z
but maybe my memory about such things is fuzzy.  No Hawaii!  No
Croatia!  50 DX QSOs were short of last year's 52 but better than the
previous year's 45 DX contacts.

I copied UX1UA correctly on his first call this year.

Equipment: Elecraft K3S/100, P3, Alpha 8410; 2 arrays of short
verticals, computer and SDR and beam steering software; 60-foot 'tee'
antenna with very droopy top-hat wires over 75 120-foot radials (some
no longer connected); audio routing stuff.


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