[PVRCNC] CQWW-160 (N1LN)

[Bruce Meier]

CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW

Call: N1LN
Operator(s): W0UCE, N4CW, KF7ADB, N1LN
Station: N1LN

Class: Multi-Op HP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 40

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 1564  State/Prov = 59  Countries = 69  Total Score = 698,752

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

As with every contest outing from our QTH, we start off with two sets of goals. One is always overall performance and the other is to have fun with friends, food and conversation while we chip away at the first goal. Once again we easily accomplished our fun goal. A big thanks to Jack, W0UCE and Bert, N4CW for making this goal so easy to accomplish. Additionally, I must not leave out Chef Archie (aka: W0UCE) for helping again with the FOOD portion of the fun goal.    

>From the performance perspective our goal was simple, beat last year’s score and, if possible, place in the top ten. This year I thought that we would have a shot at both categories of the performance goal. Why, well because the once single inverted-V transmit antenna has been replaced by two phased T top wire verticals. They are still not quite done, but they work fairly well, so the key to making our performance goal was simply to increase in 10 point Qs and hopefully our mults would also go up along the way.    

NOTE: Before I put this overview together a PVRC reflector email landed in my inbox that was written by Bill, W4ZV.  I found it quite interesting so, I hope he doesn’t mind me borrowing his multi-year analysis viewpoint. Below are the stats from the past three years of operations.   

Year	2point	5point	10point		Mults		Claimed Score

2011	1212		97		255			59 	69	698,752
2010	1198		95		240			58	70	679,936
2009	1299		116		332			58	74	857,736

After each year some type of improvement was made to the station. The phased vertical XMIT antenna mod was by far the biggest improvement, so we were optimistic.  However, based on other comments on 3830, the conditions were not equal to either of the previous two years. In one write-up 2009 was even referred to as the MAGIC YEAR. We agree. Friday night was noisy to Europe and we had a problem with the west beverage. The noise was down on Saturday and the west beverage was fixed.  (bad terminating resistor)  Other than these two observations and the one beverage issue, everything played well. By the end of hour 6 we were over 100 Qs and 11 mults ahead of 2010. The rest of the contest was a struggle to stay ahead and, as you can see, we managed to beat last year, but by a slim margin. But, we did beat it. Now it is time to see if we improved our overall position and, hopefully, finished in the top 10.     

I have read a couple postings with 60 US/VE mults. Wonder what we missed that was on. We missed NWT, NU, YT, NF.  As for DX mults, we worked everything we could hear except for 3V.  I was the op at that time and was able to copy the 3V part of the call, but that was it. Never heard a VK or ZL and only have 1 JA in the log. We did well into EU, but never had a good run. I think the message is quite clear for where to look for station improvements now… There is one change that my wife (N1YXU) has taken off the table.  We are not moving. So perhaps the best area to focus on for station mods is the RX antenna situation. If we can’t hear them we certainly can’t work them.

Thanks to everyone that worked us, even for the 75 dupes and even for a few triples. Thanks for those that were patient with repeat requests. Thanks to those that spotted us, the increased rate was much appreciated. And a big thanks to the contest sponsors.

One more comment. I would like to thank Mike, KF7ADB, for joining us. He is both new to CW and to Contesting. In a short couple of weeks his code speed has increased from around 15 wpm to around 35 wpm. He did an outstanding job and will hopefully be a regular at N1LN for future CW contests. Jack, keep working with him. His progress is nothing less than OUTSTANDING.

Station:
Elecraft K3,  Ameritron AL 1500, phased wire verticals for XMIT, five single wire beverages (NE, N, NW, W, S), K9AY used for Diversity RX, N1MM

73,
Bruce, N1LN
(aka: NC4KW)