TopBand: Barbecues, garage sales and the CQ 160

[Steve Ireland]

Strange conditions and a strange contest.

This year, the CQ 160 had to be fitted around various Australia Day weekend
activities - a street party, participation in a car boot sale and a typical
Aussie barbie.  Time was tight.

The first nite, got on about sunset and immediately put the Green Hornet
(W3GH) in the log, closely followed by WB9Z and Wally W8LRL (best signal out
of the USA here).  Condx seemed only fair, with signals S5 at best (despite
giving and receiving the usual 599 stuff), plus some fairly low level (S4)
QRN/electrical noise.  Skip seemed best into the North East, with stations
in Ohio and Ontario initially prominent.  Unfortunately, signal levels
dropped quickly and by 1330Z it was a painful fight with the noise racket.

Some of the usual 'left coast' gang made it into the log, with KH6, a couple
of UA0 and 3W5FM being the only highlights.   

I put in about an hour in the middle of the night, with SL3ZV, SM4HCM,
8Q7AA, YB1AQS and YC0LOW interrupting my sleep.  Up at 2030Z for the sunrise
and first in the log was GW3YDX, who has FB rx abilities as well as having
fixed his Tx vertical.  Next up was EA8BH (on the first call) and things
were looking good...when, all of a sudden hardly anyone seemed to be able to
hear me.

Gotaways included RX3RXX, UR4QW, IK2QEI (peaking RST 589), I4IKW (a similiar
signal level to IK2QEI), SP7GIQ and G0IVZ.  I guess the Eu QRM must have got
me!!  Final analysis was that conditions were also fairly poor, but my
unterminated 500' beverage running in a easterly direction seems to work
very well to the west, making signals unreadable on the dipole Q5. 

(PS The bev doesn't it work half so well in its theoretical best direction
of west - i.e. USA on the SP after sunset.  Any ideas?)

When sunset on the second day came around, I was chasing one of our curfewed
cats around the yard, after the barbie.  Luckily, my wife Deb reminded me
what time it was.

First in the log was WW2Y at 1132Z, with a solid 55/69 signal - the only
real 'right coast' station worked in the test.  Lots of strong signals from
the West coast were also unusually prominent at this time, as was Brett
VR98BG.  

Unfortunately, signal levels dropped quite quickly and stations washed in
and out of the summer noise, like the tide going in and out.  At 1200Z, I
went up to the JA window and managed to put about a dozen stations in the log.

After that, it was back to NA SP, with signals still doing their tidal
stuff.  At 1408Z, I called it quits with 89 stations in the log and went to
bed.  I got up again to work the contest at 2030Z - it took me about 30mins
(and OM6KW) to work out the contest had finished a few hours ago.  Sometimes
you can overdo things on a weekend...  

Vy 73,

Steve, VK6VZ 
PPS as a station outside of the USA, the Stew Perry works far better for me
as a contest - better times, date and scoring system!  I love the CQ 160,
but...please, please can we overhaul the rules/scoring?..


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