[NCC] ARRL 160 NO3M Single Op HP

[Tim Duffy]

Excellent score Eric!

Should be good for #1 USA single op!

Hope to see you at K8AZ in January for the NCC meeting

73,
Tim K3LR

-----Original Message-----
From: NCC [mailto:ncc-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Eric NO3M
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2015 3:06 PM
To: 'North Coast Contesters'
Subject: [NCC] ARRL 160 NO3M Single Op HP

                     ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: NO3M
Operator(s): NO3M
Station: NO3M

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: WPA
Operating Time (hrs): 31
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1544  Sections = 81  Countries = 42  Total Score = 441,078

Club: North Coast Contesters

Comments:

Strong start w/ 541 logged in the first four hours (178/141/112/110 rates,
best
60-min 181/hr), but things started gradually slowing from there.  It got
tiring
trolling up and down the band on the second radio, but picked up a few mults
and
fresh meat.  Experimented with a Softrock Ensemble SDR and highly modified
version of SDR-shell to get a bird's eye view of the band at all times
(waterfall), hoping any pile-up activity would be identifiable, but the SDR
was
being overloaded on transmit using a Hi-Z style vertical, so was only seeing
the
band activity between transmissions.  Situation was better when splitting
one of
the beverage arrays to the SDR.

No significant runs to EU, mostly just trickling, 157 worked, Saturday best
night here.  No VK/ZL or JA either morning.  166 5-pointers total.  Missed
AK
and NT.  Working WTX was an epic event... heard a weak caller Sunday
morning.
After many repeats finally pulled WR5O and WTX out!  WOW!  Just as exciting
as
any new DX mult!!  Thanks WR5O for sticking with it.  I believe he was
running
QRP.  The band exhibited quite pronounced QSB on weak signals, often took
some
patience to pull a QSO off, but persistence paid 95% of the time.  And of
course, anytime a couple letter were missed, QSB continued to take the same
letters out each repeat...argh!

Acom 2S1 commutator stopped working before the contest, so swapped in a Top
Ten
A/B switch driven by the PTT lines to toggle radios to the shared amp /
antenna.
  Worked well, but prefer the Acom unit as it has hotswitch protection using
inhibit lines, etc.

Always nice to work Topband friends, domestic and DX.  Hope things perk up a
bit more for Stew Perry in a few weeks.

73 Eric NO3M

2x K3, MK2R+, SO2R+3RX
AL-1500 amp
Four Square TX antenna + omni
1000x300 ft broadside beverage arrays E, SE, S, SW, W
1000x600 ft broadside beverage array (3-element) NE
12000ft Staggered (echelon) beverage arrays N, NW
BSEF 8-circle


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