ARRL 160-Meter Contest - 2023
Call: WB0TEV
Operator(s): WB0TEV
Station: WB0TEV
Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: NTX
Operating Time (hrs): 6:56
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 180 Sections = 72 Countries = 8 Total Score = 30,720
Club: DFW Contest Group
Comments:
TS-590SG, KPA1500 @ ~1KW, N1MM+
3 reversible Beverages NE/SW (600'), NW/SE (720'), E/W (460')
TX Ant: Sort of a zigzag of wire over 30 100 foot long radials
I forgot to use QSORDER in this contest, so no recordings available.
In the past I used a quasi-shunt feed of my tower, which did radiate but not
well, and didn't have that many radials connected to the tower. Running more
than about 500 watts got so much RF in the shack that it would glitch my
computer.
Having recently put up a full size vertical on 80m over a field of 30 100 foot
long radials I wanted to put up a 160m inverted L over the same radial field
using the same feed as the 80m vertical. I first tried running the vertical
portion of the L in parallel with the first 50 feet or so of the 80m vertical
and thence horizontally over a tree, but that didn't work so well and severely
detuned the 80m vertical. (I should have seen that coming). Friday afternoon I
rejiggered things to make a sort of zigzag shape with the wire going out from
the feedpoint at the bottom out and up at about a 45 degree angle to a rope
pulling it away from the 80m vertical and then back to a PVC standoff near 50
Pulling the 160m wire out away from the 80m vertical kept the 80m vertical from
getting detuned, but the final end piece being up above the bottom section I
think resulted in the RF fields fighting and canceling making it look
electrically shorter than the overall straight length of wire would suggest.
To try and lower the resonant frequency I wound some more wire around a PVC form
at the bottom and with some cut and try managed to get the resonant freq down
around 1850 from 1950. It was still a 3:1 VSWR, but the KPA1500 could match
that okay and away I went as darkness fell Friday night.
I've got ideas on how to improve it, but that will require getting the neighbor
kid to shoot another line over another tree.
It seemed to work, and with the Beverages I had a pretty good set of ears and
mouth. It was a totally search and pounce affair, at first just concentrating
on mults. Was only QRV for about 7 hours but got 180 QSOs, 72 sections and 8
DX.
DX worked: FY, HR, P4, PJ2, TI, V2, XE, ZF
US Sections missed: ENY, WTX, SDG, AK, ID, WWA, WY
VE Sections missed: NB, NL, NS, ONN, SK, TER
Last QSO was just before 2300 CDT Saturday (0500Z Sunday). Got up before dawn
Sunday but spent that time chasing 4W8X on 160 FT8.
See you in the RAC Winter contest at the end of the month.
73,
Victor WB0TEV
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