When aurora borealis appeared in the sky, it was nice. When I realised that CQ 160 CW is going to be this weekend, it wasn’t nice.
I started with RX antenna configurations in December. I prepared the Top band setup reconfigurations a few days before the contest. Friday was for fine detail tuning of TX ANT, recabling and RX ANTs testing. When I performed the diversity reception test during the day, using the OKM1 beacon (good job! Jan OK1FMZ) and medium wave AM radio stations, the panic started. RX ANTs were beaming in various directions, except the expected one – the same direction. I ran out to the field and rechecked all cables, connectors, and voltages. Everything was OK. I lost about 3 hours. OK, we will see in live traffic. Then I grilled the K9AY preamp during SO2V TX tests; I mistakenly sent 30W into it… I can set the FT101D ANT3 input with RX verticals as RX only, but not ANT2 with K9AY.
The contest started in good shape: 140 Qs after the first hour (personal record), the second one less (88 Qs), but still OK. Then the suffering started. Saturday morning with 462 Qs, 8 W/VE (6 mults). It’s usually 50% of the final QSO number, which means less than 1000 total.
Saturday evening started in a good mood, but without any bonus mults. Then I was hoping for a small miracle during Sunday morning. It did not happen. No NA opening; my signal was lost somewhere in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Every QSO was hard work, with a very modest MULTs increase. I gave it up shortly after 0600Z. Logged an additional 1x W, 1x VE, both new mults, fortunately. What to add? A few EUs gained a bit also after 0700Z. On the other hand, a few stations in my close surroundings (including big guns) fared no better.
Sunday evening is a mental toughness test. The reward came; a few micromiracles happened this time. I made E2 and JA with ease. Then BG0DLA responded to my CQ.
And then the highlight of this contest: a weak signal called me from the NE direction and I put together „4K2“, but it was not right. What about „V“ instead of „4“? Why not try? I sent „VK2?“. My headphones almost fell out of my ears from surprise when I clearly heard VK2BJ peak at 579 for 2-3 seconds! Enough to have him in the log. Thanks for your patience, Barry.
I have never had such a low score running from my current QTH. Except in 2011 and 2021. But back then I was running LOW POWER, seriously. That says it all.
Simply miserable. But overall the same for everybody. Weak conditions underlined well-equipped top guns and regional differences. The further westward, the better; the further southward, the better in EU.
Livescore helped to maintain proper contest morale and fun. Nice race with SP4T and LY5W, thanks for posting, guys. We were shoulder to shoulder almost all the time. Then I lost ground on Sunday morning and I was not able to keep up with the boys anymore. Neither a stroke of luck nor a lucky break came. But 3830 posts show that the UBN/NIL photo finish will have the final say. Maybe…
Big thanks to the Topbanders who didn’t just pack it in despite the conditions.
FINAL score: xxx xxx
Category: SO HP
Rank: WW #xx EU #x OM #x
RAW score: 325 059
Category: SO HP
Rank: WW #11 EU #7 OM #1
Call: OM7K
Operator(s): OM7RU
Station: OM7RU
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: JN98OQ
Operating Time (hrs): 29:23
Location : Europe
Summary:
QSOs State/Prov Countries Total Score
-------------------------------------------------
908 8 61 325 059
-------------------------------------------------
Used equipments:
Yaesu FTDX-101D
OM Power 3500A
microHAMs: MK2R+
2x OM Power OM6BPF
DXLog
Antennas:
160m: Half Sloper
5 circle phased vertical RX array
K9AY
73! Riki, OM7RU/OM7K
www.tucek.sk/om7ru