CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: VE3DZ
Operator(s): VE3DZ
Station: VE3DZ
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Niagara
Operating Time (hrs): 30.0
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 1056 State/Prov = 60 Countries = 39 Total Score = 527,373
Club: Contest Club Ontario
Comments:
I didn't plan to participate in this Contest at all because I didn't have any
antenna for the Top band since last Contest season and my station is still
under construction.
Then on Wednesday morning I decided to put up a 1/4-wave half sloper on my 64'
tower just to make some noise. I accomplished this task pretty quickly between
work duties and some other things on that day.
Then, the next day (on Thursday) I started to think about putting up a
receiving antenna. And by the end of the day I had ~250 m beverage towards EU
attached to the fence and bushes branches.
Then, encouraged by such success, I decided to put up an Inverted L using my
second (80' tall) tower. I finished laying radials (I had only 8 of them)
approximately one hour before the Contest. The vertical part of the Inv. L was
around 75'
Everything worked pretty well, especially I was happy with the Inv. L which
outperformed sloper on receive and transmit in most cases on EU and East Coast
QSO's. However I remember when CW5W called me with 599+ signal, he was much
stronger on the sloper... Honestly, at first I thought that some one is pulling
my leg, because his signal was unbelievable strong! Way over S 9.
Saturday morning was not so good towards EU, Saturday night and Sunday morning
were much better with a lot of strong signals, but I wasn't able to work even a
half of them. I remember 9A5CW, HB9CA, OM3GI, P33W, S51V, G5W and others whom I
called many times here and there with no luck... Kudos to RU1A who replied to
my call right away despite being in the Northern "black hole". Also
managed to work E51DWC after few tries.
I was going to do a part time effort, but got carried away and operated full
time!
Unfortunately the temporary support for my Inverted L on the top of 80' tower
broke early Sunday morning so I had to finish the Contest with a half-sloper.
But weather permitting I will try to restore it pretty soon.
The beverage worked "O.K." but I honestly I expected more from it.
Again, maybe more proper installation would increase my receiving capabilities
which are not bad at all even without it since I was blessed with more or less
quiet location (knock-knock-knock). I'll work on that too.
I don't remember who said that - but it would have never been done, if not for
the Contest!
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