Topband: 160M Contest

[Mike Waters]

I made about 30 or 40 contacts last night before I got tired early. I was
tinkering with the new contest logging software (tlf for Linux) during that
time; but I think I almost did better last winter with only 100 watts.
Maybe conditions were better last time (not as much QSB, that's for sure),
or maybe my IC-765's receiver front end is oscillating --and screwing up
our TX signal-- from too much RF being picked up by the Beverages.  I have
a series pot and #47 lamp between the antenna and preamp input --and
back-to-back diodes to ground there-- but maybe there's still too much RF
getting into the RX antenna input on the back of the Icom IC-765. Maybe I
should go down in the shack and haywire a relay to open the RX line and
ground the input before it gets dark and we resume the contest.

73, Mike
www.w0btu.com