CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: AA0RS
Operator(s): K0RF, N6DX, AA0RS
Station: AA0RS
Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: Colorado
Operating Time (hrs): 25
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 993 State/Prov = 58 Countries = 22 Total Score = 190,000
Club:
Comments:
Run station = 4 square plus shared beverages and dipole receiving antennas, Icom
781 + homebrew PA
Mult station= full sized GP plus shared beverages and dipole receiving antennas,
Icom 781 + Alpha 91
Topband provided another tough challenge to all competitors this year.
Congratulations to an excellent effort by the N7JW team, like us they had to
contend with a wall of noise from the east. We heard several Europeans but could
not afford to spend the time in the pileups, if we still had a DX window there
would have been many more US to DX contacts, without the window the results
speak for themselves.
Signals from JA were weak and we only managed 4 QSOs' although KL7J was audible
for several hours at Q5 copy. Many thanks to all the stations who called us and
apologies to the few we didn't manage to pull through.
Having a run station and a search and pounce station that is effective is
difficult on 160M, we were seeing high RF voltages on all the receive antennas
in addition to the usual receiving "challenges". High RF fields caused the
demise of an 87A and we lost the front end of a IC781 . With hindsight I should
have installed a high dipole for the search station instead of the ground
plane.
Our enjoyment and competitiveness was sadly reduced this year by an apparent
increase in the number of "frequency stealers", they know who they are and they
should be ashamed of their behaviour, no excuses.
Inequalities exist in every major contest and everyone should consider the
perspective that given the facilities available to them and taking into account
local conditions, they did their best, they ran and finished the race and for
their little spot on the map THEY were the winner!
For me the contest provided a wonderful opportunity to operate alonside my old
friends Chuck K0RF and Darrell N6DX who flew out from CA for the event.
Enjoyment is relative, I have had better years with better conditions but I
think we all enjoyed the challenge.
The loss of the DX window, in my opinion, has significantly reduced the scores
of stations west of Ohio, split frequency operation was the only effective way
to work around the east coast "wall of noise".....but its' just another
challenge!
Hope to work you all again in the next one!
Dave AA0RS / G3SZA
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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