TopBand: W3LPL 160M QRN/CQWW Phone

[Dick Zwirko]

CQWW Phone Contest as seen (heard) from the 160 Meter position at W3LPL
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Jeff, K1ZM's posted a note a few days ago asking:
1) How did DX stations overseas hear KC1XX vs N2RM, W3LPL, K1VW, K3LR, etc.
   (on 160M) in the CQWW Phone Contest. 
2) Were we (KC1XX) HEARING okay, or better than other W's or -, really POORLY
   vs other W's?

As one of the W3LPL 160M ops, I (K1HTV) can answer the second question.
With the QRN levels we experienced throughout the contest, you were probably
hearing better than us. This is an understatement!  QRN levels were extreme 
for almost all of the CQWW Phone weekend.  I noted 'S' meter levels of the 
QRN we encountered on 160 Meters at various times just before, during and 
just after the contest period.  The chart below shows the peak readings noted 
on the TS850S transceiver's 'S' meter. The AGC was set to slow, with 18 DB 
of receiver attenuation, using the SSB receive filter.  Readings were taken
on each of the 160 Meter antennas being used at the position at the noted time. 

-----------.-----------.-----------------.-----------------------.-----------
 UTC Date  |   OCT 24  |      OCT 25     |         OCT 26        |   OCT 27   
-----------+-----.-----+-----.-----.-----+-----.-----.-----.-----+-----.------
 Antenna   |2300Z|2330Z|0730Z|1130Z|2300Z|0130Z|0300Z|0800Z|1030Z|2100Z|0000Z
-----------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------
NW-4square |S5   |S6   |S9+5 |S2   |S8   |S6   |S9   |S5   |S5   |S1   |S7   
NE-4square |S5   |S4   |S9   |S1   |S9   |S8   |S9+15|S9+5 |S7   |S1   |S7   
SE-4square |S9   |S9   |S9   |S3   |S9+5 |S9+5 |S9+10|S7   |S6   |S2   |S9+5 
SW-4square |S7   |S9   |S9   |S2   |S9+15|S9+5 |S9+5 |S9+5 |S9   |S2   |S9  
W-vert     |S8   |S8   |S8   |S2   |S9+5 |S8   |S9+10|S9   |S9+5 |S4   |S8   
S-vert     |S9+5 |S9+5 |S9   |S3   |S9+10|S9+5 |S9+10|S9+10|S9   |S4   |S9+5 
NE-vert    |S4   |S7   |S9   |S3   |S8   |S9+5 |S9+15|S9   |S6   |S2   |S8   
 E-bev     |S5   |S5   |S9+5 | -   |S9   |S9   |S9   | -   | -   |S3   |S5   
NE-bev     |S5   |S4   |S9   | -   |S9+5 |S9+5 |S9+5 | -   | -   |S1   |S6   
 S-bev     |S6   |S6   |S9+5 |S3   |S9+5 |S9+5 |S9+10|S9+10|S6   |S1   |S8   
 W-bev     | -   | -   | -   |S2   | -   | -   | -   |S7   |S2   | -   | -   
NW-bev     | -   | -   | -   |S2   | -   | -   | -   |S9+10|S6   | -   | -   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

OH MY EARS!!!
-------------
The W3LPL QTH just happened to in just the right (WRONG) place for stormy
weather all three nights. The QRN dropped a bit in the hours just before our
Saturday sunrise, allowing us to work KL7XX and just at our 11:27 UTC sunrise 
to work VK3AJJ.  One hour before Sunday's 22:17 UTC sunset, the QRN level was 
low to the Northeast. A number of European stations were heard weakly, but as 
the sun set, the QRN from the storms around us again brought the QRN to extreme
levels again.   We finally got Spiros, SV8CS, to hear us through his reported
eastern European QRM in the last quarter hour for W3LPL's 160M country #47  
and Zone #18.

To put it mildly, weather played a major factor in 160 Meter operation 
at W3LPL. Lets hope that we ALL have low QRN levels for the CQWW CW weekend.
See (hear) you in the pileups.

73 de Rich - K1HTV
dz@voa.gov


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