CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW
Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT
Class: SOSB/160 HP
QTH: Ohio
Operating Time (hrs): 16.5
Summary:
Band QSOs Zones Countries
------------------------------
160: 211 18 72
80:
40:
20:
15:
10:
------------------------------
Total: 211 18 72 Total Score = 45,630
Club: Mad River Radio Club
Comments:
I have one word for my performance this year: d'oh!
The first night went pretty fairly smoothly: conditions seemed very
good, the local noises sources stayed quiet, and I didn't make any
serious tactical errors.
I napped from 0700Z to 1000Z. Missed the V73 and VKs, and didn't hear
any ZLs. Sunrise saw a very nice opening towards Asia with 5 JAs and
an RW0 in the log. I worked JA7NI 3 times because I'm an idiot.
Also, the first time I wasn't sure.
The second evening started normally. However, around 0230Z, I
restarted my "phased array beam steering gigaplex" in order to make
some minor change. For whatever reason, I did not notice that I left
the beam steering component in "bypass" mode, which reduces the 8
element phased array to just 2. All evening I kept commenting to
myself how noisy it was, and that the Beverages seemed to be
performing better than the array. Around 0600Z I was "turning the
beam" so-to-speak, and noticed that the usual directivity was
completely absent. D'oh!!!
After turning off "bypass" mode, so that my antenna was running on all
8 cylinders, conditions got much better. Unfortunately, I got much
sleepier. I took at nap around 0800Z and got up again at 1030Z, but
went back to bed when I couldn't quickly find a compelling reason to
operate (like a plethora of new multipliers). I got up again at 1130Z
and made the same assessment.
Around 2200Z I started up again CQing. After working 11 Ks, 2 VEs,
and a G, the rate finally began to pick up. Too bad there was only 25
minutes left. Nevertheless, I managed to log 6 more EU and 5 more VE.
My plan was to have an 8 element circle phased array debut during this
contest, but the software was not quite ready. Hopefully, I can
finish it before the ARRL 160 test. I also hope to add some software
that makes the transmitter (the Icom) track where I'm receiving. Then
I can S&P twice as fast. See you in December.
Rig: IC765, homebrew 8 el. steerable phased array, ETO 91B, 65 foot
"T" antenna for transmitting, and some Beverages that I didn't use
very much.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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