[UK-CONTEST] 2nd 160m contest - GM3ZBE

[Alex GM3ZBE]

Hi
I'm very much a novice when it comes to 160M, I never have paid much 
attention to the band from a contest or a dx point of view.
I suspect it's because I like my sleep too much, I don't cope well with 
early mornings or late nights!

I entered the 2nd -1.8MHz contest for the first time last year and my 
adjudicated score was 123 q's and 63 bonus points, having lost quite a 
few compared to my raw log.
Then the antenna was a somewhat bent 160M dipole with the centre 133ft 
being at 40ft and the ends dropped down at an angle to about 10ft.  Too 
low, I know, but I can't get it any higher.

Lately I've put up an inverted L , 40 ft vertical and about 190 odd 
horizontal east to West.  I feed it against the (grounded) rabbit mesh 
fencing which runs right round our property perimeter, that's about 
800ft long!  (might be better as the aerial!)  I put it up because, 
strangely enough, I am beginning to find that 160M has same sort 
perverse attraction as VHF operation used to have for me.  I.e. going to 
a great deal of trouble to work something that you could work on 20M 
with a bit of wet string!  During the year I might be able to do 
something about a 160M receive antenna although I can't fit in a full 
size beverage, the max straight run I could manage would be about 250 
ft.  I might look at some other alternative, any suggestions?

I did a lot better this year, my raw score was 169 Q's and 66 bonus pts, 
I will be interested to see how much I lose in adjudication, I had a 
fair number of contacts where I was really struggling to get their 
exchange.  I decided this year to spend the first hour looking for bonus 
contacts but in the event I only worked three more than last year.  I 
think that strategy may have been a mistake, perhaps I would have been 
better to work the Eastern Europeans and Russians before they went to 
bed?  I wonder what the best overall strategy might be?

I managed to work K4PI and half worked WD5R but could not get his serial 
no, hopefully those were the correct calls.  I think perhaps conditions 
were better this year, although pleased with my increase, I heard some 
big serial numbers, I guess scores were probably better for everybody?  
I'm curious whether my inverted L was better than last year's dipole, 
generally speaking was the propagation to EU and the USA better than 
last year?

Thanks to those who worked me.
73
Alex, GM3ZBE