06/25/2002 | KG0US ICOM IC-775DSP ALPHA DELTA DX-A SLOPER APEX AT 35 FEET. UNTIL RECENTLY, I NEVER DREAMED THAT I WOULD EVER OPERATE ON 160 METERS HAVING A SMALL 100 FOOT BY 100 PLOT OF LAND. THAT WAS UNTIL I PURCHASED THE ALPHA DELTA DX-A SLOPER THIS YEAR. THIS ANTENNA HAS A LOW VSWR ON BOTH 40 AND 160 METERS. HOWEVER, I CAN NOT GET THE 80 METER SIDE TO WORK ANYWHERE ON THE BAND WITHOUT A TUNER. I WAS NOT VERY SERIOUS WHEN I STARTED THE CONTEST SINCE I HAD A SMALL ANTENNA UP ONLY 35 FEET AT THE APEX AND DID NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE 160 METER BAND. AS TIME WENT ON DURING THE CONTEST I GOT MORE SERIOUS AND WAS HAVING SOME FUN MAKING CONTACTS. I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS I GOT MORE INTERESTED WAS THAT I DISCOVERED THAT MY GOOD FRIEND TOM AE9B WAS IN THE CONTEST SO I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE HIM SOME FRIENDLY COMPETITION. YOU SEE, TOM HAS A MUCH BETTER 160 METER ANTENNA SYSTEM THAN I HAVE LIVING ON A 5 ACRE PLOT OF LAND. BEING THE FIERCE COMPETITOR THAT HE IS, HE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO LIVE IT DOWN IT I WOULD OUT SCORE HIM. I LEARNED SOMETHING NEW ABOUT MY IC-775DSP DURING THIS CONTEST. THE AUDIO PEAK FILTER (APF) REALLY HELPS PULL THE WEAK SIGNALS OUT OF THE NOISE WHEN ADJUSTED PROPERLY. I WAS SURPRISED THAT I WAS ABLE TO WORK 49 OF THE 50 STATES INCLUDING KH6AT IN HAWAII. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD WORKED KH6ND BUT WAS NOT SURE BECAUSE SOMEONE FROM THE MAINLAND STARTED REPEATEDLY GIVING THEIR CALL BEFORE I COULD VERIFY THAT HE RECEIVED MY EXCHANGE. OH WELL, MAYBE NEXT TIME. -- KG0US