[Mldxcc] ARRL 160 P40TA(K6TA) Single Op HP

[K Anderson]

I was High Power, 1KW.  The 3830 report is wrong.

                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: P40TA
Operator(s): K6TA
Station: P49Y/P40L

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: ARUBA
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 815  Sections = 76  Countries = 0  Total Score = 117,192

Club:

Comments:

Kay, K6KO/P40K and I arrived on schedule Thursday afternoon 1 December
minus luggage that spent an extra night in San Juan.  Other than a
backup set of Heil headphones everything needed to begin operation was
in our carry-on luggage.  We are once again enjoying the wonderful house
and station of Andy, AE6Y/P49Y and John, W6LD/P40L.

This is our third December trip to Aruba and have once again been
rewarded with temperatures in the low 80’s F, sunny days and light
tropical breezes.  It’s a wonderful time to be here as everyone is
sprucing up and preparing for Christmas with lights and decorations
everywhere.

The P40L crew had been here the weekend before for CQWW CW and had
erected three new Beverage antennas for 160/80, West USA, East USA and
Europe.  My sincere thanks for their efforts as the improvement in
receive ability is remarkable.

The 160 contest begins here at 6PM, prior to sunset, and from experience
I knew the big signals of W2GD and VY2ZM would be pounding in but not
workable until the sun went down..  I managed a few SP contacts in the
first 40 minutes and then settled on  1831 in the “DX Window”  where I
was able to stay for seven hours.  Staying in the window the second
night was much more difficult with 6Y, KV4, NP4, Europe and myself all
trying to fit in the same 5 KHz.  Finding a sustained run frequency
anywhere in the band was virtually impossible.  Several times I had my
frequency inside the “window” stollen by someone that called and worked
me and then answered someone else and stayed on the frequency.  I was
also bother by what appeared to be a South American broadcast birdie.
Spent most of second night using the west USA Beverage as it helped null
out the interference.

The Western USA and Canada usually peak after 0600Z so eventhough still
tired from the trip down I knew to stay  until at least 3 AM local.  I
was rewarded with a good number of W6, W7, VE6, VE7.  Of course most of
the really big guns had gotten in the log much earlier around 0100Z with
N6RO being the first West Coast.  I quit the first night just before
0800Z as the rate was near zero.  With 550 Q’s in the log, including
some Europeans, I went to bed.  The Europeans I worked were all really
big signals as they managed to get over the USA on to a broadside
Beverage.

The hot spot from Aruba on 160 is usually W5 centered on Texas.  This
year the Northern latitudes had the advantage with the hot spot being
IL, WI, MN.  The W5’s were never loud and only a handful of stations in
Southern California worked.  I worked more EW and NV than LAX.

The hilight was having the big signal of KH6ZM come over the top the
second night just before 0600Z.  I heard but didn’t work ND, just
couldn’t get the call before he faded out.  Never heard AK, NT or SDG.

Station setup is ICOM 756PROII, Alpha 87A, Inv Vee at 70 feet and three
Beverages.

On a sad note for those familiar with Aruba.  The Natural Bridge on the
NorthEast coast collasped in September.  This was probably the most
visited and photographed site in Aruba.

Thanks for all the Q’s.  Look for P40K in 10 Meter this weekend.  And
P40TA from FK52 in Stew Perry.

73 from Aruba “One Happy Island”

Ken - K6TA/P40TA