ARRL 160-Meter Contest - 2020
Call: N4XD
Operator(s): N4XD
Station: N4XD
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs):
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 1281 Sections = 80 Countries = 36 Total Score = 308,880
Club: Smithchart ARS
Comments:
To echo what some have already posted:
My best rate ever. First 7 plus hours averaged over 100. Indeed seems Covid has
kept more folks home and ready to contest.
Yes, some folks, in particular a 4 in Va, need to invest (hey, N1MM+ is FREE) in
a logging program. This particular ham worked me 5 times! I applaud the
enthusiasm but once, really, is enough.
EU sigs were down in quantity and strength. A few were like locals but most were
not. All their efforts to fight through the QRN and QRM is appreciated.
Friday night the band was quieter but Saturday evening, with the remains of the
storm off the NE coast, directly in the EU path, made it more of a challenge.
Fortunately it wasn't constant lightening.
Wish I could say Murphy stayed away but can't. At the beginning of the contest
had an issue I had never had before. When listening to the NE on the 8 ant
circle array, CW sounded, at least in my earphones, choppy. But only when using
the <<>> speed up/ slow down feature of N1MM. Listen in any other
direction and it was fine. So, spent half an hour, or a bit more, checking coax
connections to the xmit array and each matching network. Never did find the
issue. Worked around it by removing the <<>> in N1MM and good to go.
But obviously lost some very important operating time. This issue later cleared
up..... At least it was a gentle visit by Murphy.
The days before the contest I had tweaked my back making walking, or really
doing much, difficult. But, to get ready for the contest I had to walk the
circle array to repair any damage from falling branches. Unfortunately, I found
that the top hat wires for one element had been damaged when they timbered the
neighbors lot. Had to pivot the element down, re-attach the wires and re-raise
the element. Easy to do when the back isn't hurting. Not so much when it is :)
But repair done and that array good to go.
I have a bog to the west for the 2nd receiver. It's output always seemed higher
than it should be so troubleshoot it. Disconnected coax from bog and, well,
still hearing AM stations. And well. Ran out a new RG6 direct bury feedline and
now, at last, its working great. REALLY needed it for this contest as the circle
array doesn't hear well off the back (yeah, I know, kinda the point). Heard well
enough to, at a minimum, tell someone was calling.
A note about zero beating. There were a handful of stations that were calling
far enough off zero beat that the only clue I had they were there was looking at
the panadapter (a real must, I think, for today's contesting). And I usually ran
a 400hz filter so not terribly narrow. To those ops: if you call and call and no
one answers, perhaps this is why.
After all is said and done only a couple regrets. Didn't work any SA stations.
My fault. I really didn't listen down that way until early Sunday morning and
was napping during their Saturday morning sunrise. And missing KL7. Otherwise
very pleased with how well the station performed. Still need to up my game but
that gets harder every year.
On the radio side, I used to use a K3. Still have it. Then moved to the Icom
7610. Both those rigs were mostly excellent contesting radios. Now have an Anan
7000dle. I have to say I am very impressed with that radio. Filters (all
software) were sharp and, frankly, except for a few noticeable stations, not a
lot of key clicking heard here. Overall a fine radio. I did add a midi
controller to give me real knobs which makes it fit my operating style better.
Equipment
Anan 7000dle (two true receivers.....i.e. 2 ADCs)
Alpha 91b
2 phased towers switchable NE, SW or NW/SE omni
W8JI (and written up by Joel, W5ZN) 8 antenna circle array
W bog
Several beverages which weren't really used.
N1MM+ (thanks to that team for this excellent logging program)
Thanks all for making this a very entertaining contest.
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