ARRL 160-Meter Contest - 2023
Call: KN7Y
Operator(s): KN7Y
Station: KN7Y
Class: Single Op HP
Class Overlay: Limited-Ant
QTH: AZ
Operating Time (hrs): 12
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 107 Sections = 25 Countries = 2 Total Score = 6,102
Club: Arizona Outlaws Contest Club
Comments:
As many are writing about, the weekend started out with impacts from several
CME’s, and by 02 Dec at about 12:00 Z (5 AM in AZ) the SFI was 162, with
A-Index 56 and K-Index 1. As I began drafting these comments at 12:20 Z on 03
Dec the SFI is 148, with A-Index 14 and K-Index 1.67. From the perspective of
what is essentially a small station compared to others, these effects are fairly
magnified with higher noise levels, and I often only found the same dedicated
(louder) ops on the band when hunting and pouncing.
From Arizona, I decided to run unassisted with the full 200 watts of my Yaesu
FT-2000D, with my antenna meeting the criteria of the Limited Antenna Overlay:
an Alpha-Delta 40-80-160 dipole positioned as an Inv-V up about 35’ at its
apex. While this antenna is a full ¼-wave dipole on 40, the bandwidth is
compromised on 80 and especially 160. After working with the length and angle
of the legs for a bit to find a sweet spot around 1.818 MHz, I ended up being
able to work from about 1.800 to 1.830 MHz with the Yaesu’s internal tuner.
If rain is in the forecast, this can affect the antenna’s performance, and as
luck would have it, we had a steady winter rain beginning early Friday morning.
Fortunately, the sky cleared up and things were dry by the late afternoon and
for the rest of the weekend.
Working with this antenna for over one year, I felt that it was possible to make
upward of 100 QSO’s and to do so, I would have to call CQ and had some success
with this especially around 05:00 Z (10 PM) the first night. I ended up calling
CQ in intervals with H&P, and then waking up during the night to dial down
the band for about an hour at a time both nights, each time picking up a few
more Q’s.
Even with the generally dismal band conditions, I still enjoyed picking up those
few Q’s that presented themselves here and there as I watched the total Q’s,
multipliers, and score increase only at a slow pace. N3FJP’s software clock
shows 11:24 operating time with 60 minute off-times, and 6:21 (much less) with
30 minute off-times, the difference of which is somewhat a result of time
devoted to listening along the way.
At this moment while the sun is rising across the mid-west, I am still dialing
down the band hunting but with little pouncing since I have already worked
almost every call I can hear. I found an op from KS calling CQ that I have not
yet worked but, alas, he is not hearing me. I still listen to who he is working
for a minute or two since this helps knowing which approximate locations I can
(very few) and cannot (most) hear.
As it turned out, I made 107 QSO’s with 25 sections (including all CA
sections) and 2 DX entities (Mexico and Cayman Is.). During the contest, I
heard PJ2, KP4, and VE6, but was not heard even though I waited for their CQ's
to peak during waves of QSB to call them. I worked eastward states only as far
as OK, KS, and only one op from each MO and IL. I heard very few other stations
east of the Mississippi River, if any.
And, as I decided to start drafting these comments, and began considering
folding it up for the contest at 13:00 Sunday, I am listening to a fellow
Arizona Outlaw calling CQ without a response, so I am not alone.
Thanks for the QSO’s, some good fun, and especially for your patience in the
noise.
73, Jack KN7Y
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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