CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW - 2019
Call: N9TF
Operator(s): N9TF
Station: N9TF
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 15:46
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 516 State/Prov = 54 Countries = 6 Total Score = 70,200
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
That was fun! Made my goal of 500 plus contacts, which is a personal best for me
in this contest. KE0L was a primary motivator in keeping me in the chair. I
couldn't let his Qrp score best mine! Thanks for the friendly competition Jim :)
The usual DX suspects in the log, from the Caribbean. Although I had to spend
some time listening in pileups at times to find them. Made a note on scratch pad
of call and freq, checking back every now and then to see if pileup and prop
would be in my favor. KH7B was a bonus for my low cloud warming antenna. Found
him Friday night at the bottom of the band, but could not break through. Copy
was a bit iffy at my end as well. Found them again late Saturday night about
5khz higher in freq than the night before. Didn't get them in the log until just
after 2AM local time Sunday morning. Went down to check to see if I could hear
them and they were S9 in the clear calling cq and NO takers, except ME! Took a
couple repeats on my part, but good Q in the log.
Had some decent rates early Saturday night that kept things fun. From midnight
until I went QRT at 2:33am local, it was a real grind to make more Qs at any
rate. Went to bed at 454 Qs in log and wasn't very optimistic I would find
enough fresh meat after my short nap to reach 500. Got back on at 5:20am and was
able to put 54 more Qs in the log by 7:20am. It was a race to sunrise and
diminishing returns! I was really hoping SD would show up. SD and AK were the
only two states I did not find to work. Sooooo close to WAS!
I got back on the about 21:15UTC in the off chance W0SD or some other SD station
would jump on at the end, but no joy. I did add 8 more Qs to the log though.
Every little bit helps!
Worked lots, and I mean lots of NY and VA stations. 33 VEs in the log from 6
provinces. Lots of SMC in the log, and heard lots of SMC activity.
44% of my Qs were attributed to runs, which is the highest percentage to date
from this station. I timed the runs at the right time, and prop was in my favor.
Even got called by PJ2T! I wonder how many hops that was with an antenna that
radiates practically straight up! I know I did leave a lot of Qs out there that
I just could not copy right at my noise floor of S7. No RX antenna to switch to.
And that unfortunately won't happen at this QTH. I'll need to save that plan for
the new homestead in TN in a couple years!
Thanks for the Qs, and patience for any repeats. 73 Gene, N9TF
Rig: K3S 100 watts to a W8AMZ shortened (67') half sloper at an apex of 35'
sloping down to 4' off the ground. For what it's worth, it is aimed at about 60
degrees azimuth off the 36' tower.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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