[NCC] KL8DX ARRL DX SSB (DX) & More

[Phil KL8DX]

                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: KL8DX
Operator(s): KL8DX
Station: KL8DX

Class: SOSB HP
QTH: DX
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   0          0
   80:    0          0
   40:    0          0   
   20:  114       32
   15:    0          0
   10:    0          0
-------------------
Total:  114      32  Total Score = 10944

Club: North Coast Contesters

Comments:

I recently sent a note to our local power company regarding the S9 + 10 powerline noise that I have. I tracked the source down to my service line in the area of my meter box. They were supposed to be down here the Wednesday before the contest to locate the exact source of my noise and repair it. As luck would have it, they had to cancel due to cold temperatures (-35 to -40 f). I am not at all upset since they are driving 2 hours (from Fairbanks) to get to my QTH. I sent a fax to them explaining the noise and my findings and they called me the following day to set up a time to hunt down the RFI. The person that called me explained that they have RFI detection equipment and they were looking forward to working with me to solve the problem!! SCORE!!!

With that in mind, it left me being the "Runt" of NCC. I had planned a low power entry but with really bad band conditions and my noise, it left me extremely limited. I used my recently repaired AL-1500 just to be heard. I am still running off of my ground mounted Cushcraft vertical and since I was only hearing west coast and the pacific on 15, I stayed on 20 for my single band entry.  My short lived operation was 90 % S&P with the exception of the last hour I decided to find a somewhat clear frequency and run some stations (I'm sure I missed many that I could not hear).  During that run, I was excited to hear K8MR & N8TR come back to me (Dan W8CAR, I was looking for ya!..old neighbor seperated by water). I am always looking for NCC members during all the contests. K3LR was very loud (20 over) into the interior Saturday and especially on Sunday. Sunday was somewhat of a problem as I could not break the back door to many an east coast station. Many had their antennas pointed toward Europe but yet they were very strong here! Heard several back that way work the Pacific and South Pacific on long path. So, I had to wait until the beams pointed west to work those loud stations that I could hear but could not hear me.

Some of my contest notes consisted of the following;

  a.. N2NT thought I was not "DX" at first. Hard sometimes when in a few contests I am part of the family and others I am not.
  b.. KB1H chatted about the chilly temperatures we have here. He was one pointed toward Europe that did hear my tiny signal.
  c.. NE3F signed with me with "Aloha" and then realized I was in AK. Explained that it had been a long day. I can relate!!
  d.. Laughed when K6QK replied when I wished him good luck with, "If I survive". He was one of six contacts I made on Saturday.
  e.. N3RS & W9RE wanted me to QSY to 15 but as luck would have it, all propagation stopped west of the eastern California border. Reason? Noise!!
  f.. K0TO was curious about my "KL8" callsign as he had not worked any or many. Being from Ohio, I am sure everyone can figure out why I chose the "8".
  g.. It was interesting that several stations who use audio recordings to call CQ might need to tweak their settings. I think a few need to check their audio levels as from this end, their CQ's were nice and loud, crisp and clear, perfect in my humble opinion. When person came back to answer a calling station, their audio level dropped dramatically and almost were hard to hear! I don't use one but I heard that several times through out the day. 

And last, when I moved up here and really did not want to relinquish my "8" land callsign (KE8RO). I had it for years but knew as a DXer and a small time contester that it would cause problems. I thought long and hard about my callsign knowing that I wanted to keep the "8". I knew I was going to have KL8 but was not sure of the rest. I at first decided to do KL8RO but after sending KE8RO for so many years, figured I would send my old callsign by mistake in the heat of the moment! I knew I loved to DX so I figured hey, how about KL8DX!  Why not. I have my old "8" in the callsign and it will say something about myself.  I mean heck, I had over 305 countries confirmed for my DXCC award back in Ohio with nearly 280+ being on CW.  Is there anything more than DXing and contesting??  Well, here is the hind sight.

As I began to work contests up here, I found many people thought me as KL7DX. I got sent "wrked B4" many a times. Even this past weekend I had that. I asked the person to check his log and to make sure it was not me (which I knew it was not) and he did in fact work KL7DX. I did hear them on the band so I knew they were active this past weekend. In my haste to obtain a new callsign, I did not give much thought regarding the ramifications of similar callsigns. SSB it is a little easier but CW contests can be rough!  I probably should have thought about the 2x1 KL8 something, now that I have been on the air for a few years. But the good thing is, many are realizing that there is an 8 "DX" station up here. I have been wanting to get hooked up with some of the bigger DX stations here and take my contesting to the next level, learning how it is really done. I was spoiled by the propagation in northern Ohio, as I have gone weeks here with no signals on the bands. I have read in threads from other BIG AK contest stations down south that there is a big difference in propagation from one end of the state to the other. Granted, AK is a BIG state but I have come to realize that signals are absorbed here in the interior rather than bounced. It is all about the wind. Where I live, when the wind blows (gusts to 70+ mph) the temperature rises sometimes from -30 to +30 in a few hours. It is also true about the solar wind. When it blows, the bands end up someplace other than here. 

Congrats to all those NCC members for a job well done! I am almost ashamed to post such a small score and mine may not even count for the "Club Competition" but I a little is better than none I spose. I have informed the XYL that I am completing my station unpacking and erecting this summer. I have finally managed the job I was shooting for, which keeps me extremely busy but I think it will be better in accommodating contests.   

See ya on the bands. Sorry for the long winded posting but it has been a dark and cold winter! 

73,

Phil KL8DX
Denali National Park, Alaska
www.livingindenali.net