Topband: My take on ARRL 160

[Julius Fazekas]

Hey Eddy,

Same transmitter, USN RAO-3 and loaded my 80m vertical wire that was snaked 
through the branches of the tallest pine in the back yard... was tickled to work out of the state!

160, if nothing else, can teach one patience (it sure tries it) and listening skills. Of course, not everyone learns the same lesson.

160 is a good training ground for 40, or vice versa, with AM, SSB and Digital all in the lower spectrum. 


The 160 contests, more than most, are good places for regional competition, versus a blanket top 10. The ARRL 160 seems like the least respected of the ARRL contests, even the EME Contest seems to have better coverage (sexy, yes, but fewer participants). I'll still play in it, have met a lot of good folks, worked stuff I needed in a weekend, learned a lot and had fun... even won my category a couple times ;o)

Best wishes for the Holidays and for a great 2012!

73/2,

Jules

 
Julius Fazekas
N2WN


Tennessee Contest Group
http://k4tcg.org/
http://groups.google.com/group/tcg1?hl=en


Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/


Elecraft K2     #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366
Elecraft K3/100 #


________________________________
 From: Eddy Swynar <deswynar at xplornet.ca>
To: Mike Fatchett W0MU <w0mu at w0mu.com> 
Cc: topband at contesting.com 
Sent: Sunday, December 4, 2011 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: Topband: My take on ARRL 160
 

On 2011-12-04, at 10:51 AM, Mike Fatchett W0MU wrote:

> I didn't realize that 160 and all its challenges to get on this band 
> with a decent xmit and receive antennas was the birthplace of new 
> contesters.
> 

hi Mike,

Well it certainly was for me! 

Topband and---believe it, or not---Field Day were probably two of the biggest contest / antenna improvement influencers in my Ham career...

When you start out in the ARRL 160n contest in the mid-70's on a university student budget, running a Johnson Ranger-1, Hallicrafters S-77A, & an 80-meter open-wire fed dipole, where else CAN you go but up...?!

~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ

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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK