K2AV 2026 CQ160CW

[Guy Olinger]

Call: K2AV
Class: Single Op Assisted HP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 6
Total: QSOs 410 State/Prov 42 Countries 15 Total Score 57,570
 Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Friday and Friday night lost to preparation (including getting generator to
run) for the great ice storm. Totally bushed, sore, climbed in the sack.
Got on Saturday night at 7:30 pm local.

In my shape, I only operated 6 hours but that was a real buzz. *Fresh meat
pileup.* First run started with a half hour plus stretch at 248/hr . Three
Runs, 160 Q at 181/hr, 133 at 103/hr and 52 at 71/Hr. All time personal
best rates from home station. All the more amazing for me as the band was
really poor, weak and goofy. Saw posts that said Friday was a lot better.

After that starting run made a goal, 50K points, 400 Q's for the club. When
the band went dead Sun AM I only had 396 Q's, so got back on for the Sunday
3-5 pm dregs session and picked up another 16 to get past the goal.

One thing that really helped was no ice buildup on the L/FCP until Sunday
afternoon. Gotten a lot heavier buildup since contest over. At this writing
the ice has pushed resonance down to 1.78 MHz. If that had happened
earlier, the contest would have been very different.

I only worked 7 EU, 2 Brazil, 1 YV, 1 XE, 7 Caribbean, and KH6AQ. Was
really really tough getting past the middle-west US and East coast VE. A
lot of always, always loud stations would QSB into the noise and had to
wait for them to reemerge. These were bad, bad conditions.

Thanks for the patience in the pileup :>)

K4D + KPA1500, L over FCP.

73, Guy K2AV