Topband: LZ8T in CQWW 160m CW 2001

[Valeri Stefanov]

LZ8T in CQWW 160m =96 CW 2001

After erecting successfully the 20m high vertical last October and first =
trial of my new contest QTH by LZ2FV in November during CQWW 2000 CW ( =
92 000 pts claimed) the CQWW 160m CW was to be a second time for testing =
this location on the magic band. I received the special call(LZ8T) =
permission two days before contest and it was used for the first time in =
this contest. The rig was to be an IC735 with 250Hz CW filter and PA =96 =
mine ACOM 2000 A.

We planned to arrive with LZ2FV early on Friday morning to be able to =
place the Beverages and to install the coil and connect it to the =
vertical. However Ceco had some things to be done on Friday morning and =
we arrived only around 14.00 Z. This has left just two hours for =
stretching the Beverage antennas and work on the vertical before dark.

So, Ceco started rolling off the coax and connecting the coil to the =
vertical, while I started installing the Beverages. Murphy was away and =
it was a nice winter day with lot of sunshine and temp around 7 deg C. =
This time a 300m ( abt 850 ft) beverage was planned for JA and Russia, =
450m ( 1 200 ft) for USA/VK and 250m (750ft) for Carribean /South =
America. Beverages were open at their end which is not a problem at =
least for me here. While I was placing the JA beverage LZ1UQ and LZ2HM =
arrived from Sofia and started helping us. So, with their help we =
finished with tuning of the vertical and installing the beverages. LZ2FV =
made the first QSO this afternoon with RA6 station running just 3 watts =
and report was 589 at 16.10Z. Sounded great at this time.

Around 16.45 Z JH2FXK has been worked myself and every one of us worked =
about 7 to 10 JA=92s until the start of the contest. What a surprise =
when we have been able to work ONLY ONE JA station in the test for two =
nights and after a 5 minutes struggle for the QSO ???

This year contest was the "Inverted Vee" contest. After the end of the =
first night LZ2JE who has been using an Inv.Vee antenna just 18m high at =
its apex had about 100 QSO=92s more than us using almost the same power =
output. ( Locations are about 70 km away from each other ).

Fisrt hour finished with 98 QSOs and some nice mults =96 ZC4, OD, 4K, =
EA8,EA9 ,A61 and A45 for example. Not a sound from any JA pile up =
we=92ve had just before the start of the contest ! Only Europeans and =
few Asiatic Russian plus ex Soviet Republics stations. Finished first =
night with 398 QSOs and couple of times LZ2JE with his low Inv.Vee =
antenna beat us while we were calling a given station simoultaneously. =
During first night the only USA worked was W2GD with very potent signal. =
KC1XX was about 2 S units weaker and have not been able to hear us after =
about 30 min of calling. Same happened with NP2S ( called for 45 min) =
and also ZF2NT.(NP2S will receive our award for longest called station =
in the test with no response L . Dissapointed we went to sleep.

The second evening started slowly with just about 40 QSO during first =
hour.

We worked TA3D ,SV0LK (SV9),Z32LM,OH0RJ,EX8W,CT and GW,EA6NB, =
9H1XT,IS0LYN for new multipliers until 00.00Z.

The first station to be heard and worked from USA second night was K3WW =
with veery good signal. Took us 3 calls to work him at 23.14Z. He was =
followed by K2TOP who was even stronger and with no QSB =96 the best US =
signal here in LZ.

After midnight the worst part of the contest started for us. We have =
been hearing the USA stations all around the band and have been calling =
them many many times without a sign that anyone is capable of hearing =
our sigs. Believe me guys it was very frustrating. At the same time it =
was very interesting that those of EU located between UK/F and LZ were =
not able to hear these many US stations. On great number of frequencies =
there were an EU and an US station calling CQ without hearing each =
other. Few times we have had to ask the EU station to stop transmitting =
to be able to call the US station CQing on the same =
frequency.(Unfortunately in most instances our calls were in vain)

While trying to call W3TS unsuccessfully I have been called by ZS6ES =
with such a booming signal that I thought at first that is a pirate. ( =
W3TS was calling CQ right on S50A frequency and Tine was not hearing him =
at all-That is to give you an imagination what a mess it was on one and =
the same freq. here in EU J ).

The only USA stations worked on CQ were N4MM, W3EKT and W4WA. Total of =
worked NA on second night are : K3WW, K2TOP,AA1K,NU4Y,K2NG,W4ZV, VE3EJ, =
NY4A, K2PLF, W4MYA, W8JI, N4MM, W3EKT, W4WA, K4MA, W1FJ, N8AA, =
VA3UZ,KT3M(?) and W4NF. About 100 different USA stations were heard and =
called unsuccessfully. Among them even stations in Iowa and Montana =
which are very difficult from LZ. Champs not being able to copy us even =
after 20min of calling each one =96 KC1XX, W9RE ( 35min calling), WD5R, =
N4UK, N6AR, WB9CIF, KB8U,KT4ZX,WK3I,W3UR, K8AC, KG7H,WA3HEQ and from NA =
=96 NP4A,VP5F, HI3LFE. Multipliers heard and not worked include also =96 =
VQ9PO,VU2PAI,4L1UN and T77C.( 4L1UN worked just before the test L )

After such a night we thought about renting the antennas and 500 Kw =
transmitter of the near by located MW commercial radio station for SSB =
part J !!!!

Thus we finished this one with 747 QSOs, 64 countries, 12 states or VE =
provinces and the claimed score of only 307 268 pts.

Another vertical will be added this summer and an Inv.Vee will be =
installed, too.

Thanks to all who called us and look for LZ8T in CQWW 160m SSB in =
February.

73=92s de Wally LZ2CJ ( LZ8T)






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