2006 ARRL 160 Meter Contest
12/05/2006 |
N9TF
As always, this is the most enjoyable contest of the year. It is always somewhat of a wonder as to what the propagation will be like. Very similar to the fickle unpredictable propagation of weak signal VHF/UHF. I guess thats one of the things about the top band that keeps me coming back.
I was hoping to have one new antenna to play with in this years contest, but a heavy work schedule and a few more needed days of pruning, kept my short top loaded vertical off the air on 160. So I plugged away with my 67 loaded sloper (cloud warmer) and 100 watts.
Friday night the band was very noisy due to the snow and rain storm that was still nearby, which left behind about 12 of that heavy wet white stuff. No antenna or power problems here like in some of the other places nearby in the Midwest.
Besides the noise level being high, the band conditions seemed much softer than they were just a week ago, as signals were definitely attenuated. I was not hearing anything past CO. except for NK7U in OR. who I finally worked at 1245UTC Saturday morning after trying off and on several times Friday night.
I struggled a bit more to make contacts, at least Friday night as compared to years past, with the same operating conditions. I remember last year, the west coast was in pretty strong early in the evening Friday night. Not even close this year.
Saturday night brought quieter band conditions and somewhat stronger signals; although conditions were still not as good as they were the week before during the CQWW contest. I was able to hear and work KH7U in the CQWW test on 160 at sunrise here, but I could not here a peep out of PAC during this contest. I saw a couple of spots for KH6ZM about 45 to 50 minutes before local sunrise here, but could not even hear him. I did hear the pile working him though!
One of my main goals as always is to work AK. This year as in years past I have again come up empty handed. I saw a couple of posts for KL7RA very close to local sunrise hear, but did not hear a peep out of him either.
I have a good feeling that this will be the winter I will finally work AK. The next decent WX day I get in December, and there will be at least one or two, I plan to get the vertical tuned to resonance, and hopefully that will be my ticket to AK land!
Another sign that 160 was not up to its best conditions was when I finally heard VE7CC at about 0600 UTC Sunday morning, he was way in the noise and it took about 5 minutes for us to complete the contact. There were a couple of other stations that took some time to complete the contact as well, and I am grateful for their patience. Those stations were W7RN, and N6ZFO. All three of you guys have really good ears to hear with and outstanding operating patience in a contest environment.
Although I did not come close to beating my personal high score from last year, I felt good about this years results, considering the poorer band conditions, and not being able to spend more time in the contest. It just means I have to come back next year to set a new personal best, to break again and again
73s and cu next year Gene, N9TF. GO SMC!!!! -- N9TF
I was hoping to have one new antenna to play with in this years contest, but a heavy work schedule and a few more needed days of pruning, kept my short top loaded vertical off the air on 160. So I plugged away with my 67 loaded sloper (cloud warmer) and 100 watts.
Friday night the band was very noisy due to the snow and rain storm that was still nearby, which left behind about 12 of that heavy wet white stuff. No antenna or power problems here like in some of the other places nearby in the Midwest.
Besides the noise level being high, the band conditions seemed much softer than they were just a week ago, as signals were definitely attenuated. I was not hearing anything past CO. except for NK7U in OR. who I finally worked at 1245UTC Saturday morning after trying off and on several times Friday night.
I struggled a bit more to make contacts, at least Friday night as compared to years past, with the same operating conditions. I remember last year, the west coast was in pretty strong early in the evening Friday night. Not even close this year.
Saturday night brought quieter band conditions and somewhat stronger signals; although conditions were still not as good as they were the week before during the CQWW contest. I was able to hear and work KH7U in the CQWW test on 160 at sunrise here, but I could not here a peep out of PAC during this contest. I saw a couple of spots for KH6ZM about 45 to 50 minutes before local sunrise here, but could not even hear him. I did hear the pile working him though!
One of my main goals as always is to work AK. This year as in years past I have again come up empty handed. I saw a couple of posts for KL7RA very close to local sunrise hear, but did not hear a peep out of him either.
I have a good feeling that this will be the winter I will finally work AK. The next decent WX day I get in December, and there will be at least one or two, I plan to get the vertical tuned to resonance, and hopefully that will be my ticket to AK land!
Another sign that 160 was not up to its best conditions was when I finally heard VE7CC at about 0600 UTC Sunday morning, he was way in the noise and it took about 5 minutes for us to complete the contact. There were a couple of other stations that took some time to complete the contact as well, and I am grateful for their patience. Those stations were W7RN, and N6ZFO. All three of you guys have really good ears to hear with and outstanding operating patience in a contest environment.
Although I did not come close to beating my personal high score from last year, I felt good about this years results, considering the poorer band conditions, and not being able to spend more time in the contest. It just means I have to come back next year to set a new personal best, to break again and again
73s and cu next year Gene, N9TF. GO SMC!!!! -- N9TF
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