Topband: CQ 160 CW 2019 Results - 3V8SF winning SOLP World

[Ashraf Chaabane]

Hi All,

The results of CQ 160m 2019 have been published and I'm happy to report 
that I won the SO LP Category in the CW leg.

My story with 160 started with the 3V3S (2009) activity I conducted with 
a German team who put up a ground plane for 160 on the roof of 3V8SS 
shack. The antenna was partly surrounded by buildings. The QTH is in 
Sousse city and I can barely hear/work EU from there using 100W.

When I later operated 3V8BB station (2014) with High Power Capabilities 
and inverted-V for 160, I had access to more further areas but I kept 
receiving emails from many DX stations reporting my signal was very loud 
but I was completely deaf (no RX antenna was used at the time). Never 
imagined the difference an RX antenna could make!

Then I started doing CQ 160 CW from 3V8CB in the south of capital Tunis. 
18m long light tower was used for inv-L and plenty of space around 
allowing the build of a 260m beverage to NA and a switchable K9AY.
The results on the LP category started to be more interesting and gave 
me more appetite to further experiment with RX antennas.

So I decided to develop something in 3V8SF station, 15km away from my 
house. It also has plenty of space around and is few hundred meters away 
from sea. A 17m-long top loaded vertical was built, 16 radials. 
Beverages, BOGs, 4 Square, etc. Very interesting time spent 
experimenting.
This effort brought my worked DXCC count to 130, WAZ to 31 and WAS to 39 
in just 6 months using 100W (20% FT8).

I would like to thank everyone in this reflector for the very valuable 
information you share and all the technical support I'm getting from 
many hams. I'm grateful for all the help they provided.

I look forward to the new season and to work you all............. on 160 
CW! :-)

NB: My website below includes more info on the station and audio 
recordings of 160 DX QSOs I'm proud of.

73 Ash 3V8SF 3V8SS
www.kf5eyy.info