ARRL 160-Meter Contest
Call: P40TA
Operator(s): K6TA
Station: P49Y/P40L
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: ARUBA
Operating Time (hrs): 20
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 815 Sections = 76 Countries = 0 Total Score = 117,192
Club:
Comments:
Kay, K6KO/P40K and I arrived on schedule Thursday afternoon 1 December minus
luggage that spent an extra night in San Juan. Other than a backup set of Heil
headphones everything needed to begin operation was in our carry-on luggage. We
are once again enjoying the wonderful house and station of Andy, AE6Y/P49Y and
John, W6LD/P40L.
This is our third December trip to Aruba and have once again been rewarded with
temperatures in the low 80?s F, sunny days and light tropical breezes. It?s a
wonderful time to be here as everyone is sprucing up and preparing for Christmas
with lights and decorations everywhere.
The P40L crew had been here the weekend before for CQWW CW and had erected three
new Beverage antennas for 160/80, West USA, East USA and Europe. My sincere
thanks for their efforts as the improvement in receive ability is remarkable.
The 160 contest begins here at 6PM, prior to sunset, and from experience I knew
the big signals of W2GD and VY2ZM would be pounding in but not workable until
the sun went down.. I managed a few SP contacts in the first 40 minutes and
then settled on 1831 in the ?DX Window? where I was able to stay for seven
hours. Staying in the window the second night was much more difficult with 6Y,
KV4, NP4, Europe and myself all trying to fit in the same 5 KHz. Finding a
sustained run frequency anywhere in the band was virtually impossible. Several
times I had my frequency inside the ?window? stollen by someone that called and
worked me and then answered someone else and stayed on the frequency. I was
also bother by what appeared to be a South American broadcast birdie. Spent
most of second night using the west USA Beverage as it helped null out the
interference.
The Western USA and Canada usually peak after 0600Z so eventhough still tired
from the trip down I knew to stay until at least 3 AM local. I was rewarded
with a good number of W6, W7, VE6, VE7. Of course most of the really big guns
had gotten in the log much earlier around 0100Z with N6RO being the first West
Coast. I quit the first night just before 0800Z as the rate was near zero.
With 550 Q?s in the log, including some Europeans, I went to bed. The Europeans
I worked were all really big signals as they managed to get over the USA on to a
broadside Beverage.
The hot spot from Aruba on 160 is usually W5 centered on Texas. This year the
Northern latitudes had the advantage with the hot spot being IL, WI, MN. The
W5?s were never loud and only a handful of stations in Southern California
worked. I worked more EW and NV than LAX.
The hilight was having the big signal of KH6ZM come over the top the second
night just before 0600Z. I heard but didn?t work ND, just couldn?t get the call
before he faded out. Never heard AK, NT or SDG.
Station setup is ICOM 756PROII, Alpha 87A, Inv Vee at 70 feet and three
Beverages.
On a sad note for those familiar with Aruba. The Natural Bridge on the
NorthEast coast collasped in September. This was probably the most visited and
photographed site in Aruba.
Thanks for all the Q?s. Look for P40K in 10 Meter this weekend. And P40TA from
FK52 in Stew Perry.
73 from Aruba ?One Happy Island?
Ken - K6TA/P40TA
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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