Topband: Conditions in ARRL 160 Contest

[Earl W Cunningham]

I didn't operate from the salt lake bed (SJV) with a balloon vertical
this contest because I didn't feel that I could handle staying up two
nights in a single-op effort.  So, I operated from the comfort of my home
QTH (LAX), with "off" periods from 11 PM to 5 AM local time.  The rigs
used were my IC-756pro2 (first night) and my Elecraft K2/100 (second
night) driving my trusty old  Alpha 76CA.  What a fantastic little
contest rig that K2 is!

Condx here in So.Calif. were very definitely better to the east coast on
the first night.  The "RF curtain" from here seemed to be just east and
north of WNY.  Only one New England was heard/worked (NH) and a couple of
NNJs, both on the first night.  Maybe it was the big snowstorm on the
east coast that kept activity down there perhaps?

The biggest east coast signal here was N4PN in NFL.  He was easily worked
the first night here about 90 minutes before my sunset!  He was also
predominant the second night.  I don't know what he uses for an antenna,
but it sure works!.

When I woke up at 5 AM on Saturday morning, I was greeted by 6K1AVL's big
signal from Korea, then  proceeded to run a string of JAs, so condx
seemed to be above normal to the Far East.  T32WW had a big signal Friday
night and Saturday morning, as well as the second night.  There was nil
from JA on the second morning, however.

There were several big signals from the Caribbean and northern South
America that bombed in here on both nights.  FM5GU wins for the biggest
signal, followed by PJ2T, KV4FZ, ZF2NT, P40AT and others.

It just didn't seem like there was as much activity in this year's runing
of the ARRL 160 as there was the previous two years, but my ears at my
home QTH aren't nearly as good as they are at the dry salt lake bed.

I'm planning to operate from the salt lake bed in the Stew Perry event at
the end of this month.  That's only a one-night affair that I feel I can
handle.  Hoping for good weather condx for everyone in that one and for
good propagation.

73, de Earl, K6SE