ARRL 160-Meter Contest
Call: K9CT
Operator(s): K9CT
Station: K9CT
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 27
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 1549 Sections = 78 Countries = 22 Total Score = 329,300
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
So this is why this contest is 48 hours! First night to run and the second to
get the multipliers. The first six hours were absolutely wonderful and fun.
Rate and good cw operators everywhere. 734 qsos to start the next
twenty-one...hi.
But is was obvious that conditions were not the best as the night drew on. The
west coast was weak and there were fewer stations getting through. The biggest
issue was the lack of EU multipliers to work as it drew towards their sunrise.
Only a handful were in the log and my first day was only 87 mults and 1050
qsos.
I knew the qso rate would be slower the second day but it made it worthwhile as
the EU stations started calling in. The QSB was on all weaker signals and
everyone seemed patient enough to work through the waves to make the qso. DX
mult totals were off from the last few years and only had 65 5 point qsos. No
JA stations were heard our first sunrise but the second was much better.
My only missing sections were KP4 and NT. The last two worked were JA and AK.
This was my first real test of the new 1/4 vertical and also the 180 foot
dipole. I ran both through a Stackmatch in the shack and could quickly switch
between them. I used them both together the first few hours and am sure that it
helped the rate.
The rx antenna is a Hi-Z 8 circle array. It worked like 8 Beverage antennas or
maybe better. Sometimes it was so effective that I would miss west coast
stations calling while I was listening for EU. I used the Green Heron
Everywhere WIO devices and used a couple of hotkeys on the computer to quickly
switch around the compass. In fact, the GHE was used for the tx array and also
the SM switching. My fingers did not have to leave the keyboard unless I needed
a fill.
Station was Elecraft K3, microHam MKII, AS Filtermax III, Alpha 87A and N1MM
Logger software. No assistance.....other than my wife brought me McDonald's
meals for supper!
See you next weekend for ARRL 10M.
73, Craig K9CT
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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