Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge, 28.-29. December 2002
HB9CZF - SO CW LP
Rig: K2 with 100W; Ant: Dipole 10m agl.
This was my first entry for Stew Perry. I arrived around 1pm at my Contest QTH and had to put up a 160m antenna. I borrowed the 160m dipol from our club HB9AJ. While I was climbing the tower is was still drizling and my hiking boots were really dirty after I walked several times through the farmer's field. Appex of the dipole was around 10m and the ends were between 2 and 5 meter above ground. With this setup I did not expect a lot and before this contest I had 17 (!) 160m-QSOs in my logbook and they were from 1985 and 1986.
So, how did it go? At sunset I switched to 160m and heard only a few weak CQ's and not even a station from S5 could hear me. I went back to RAC contest on 10 and 15m. Later when I returned I even could hear the OK0EV beacon on 1845kHz and it morsed that they will QSY to 1854kHz. I started S&P and it worked out +/- ok. Some had trouble hearing me. Then I tried CQ on my own which brought UA9SP as my ODX in LO91 with roughly 3600km. If you don't know where the locators are try this site:
http://f6kim.free.fr/construction/locator/locmap.htm. You have to enter 6 digits, e.g. "LO91mm" which is approximately in the center of the field. It is also good to have some VHF contest experience. I knew what locator to expect.
At 21:15z I was able to hear JH4UYB with max 529 and deep QSB but I had no chance to work him. Let the more experienced ones first (the guys with a "proper" antenna). VY2ZM was 559 at my dipol when he was in QSO with ON4UN. Don't ask me the exact time but it was long before VY2's sunset.
Just after midnight (UTC) I went to bed (= sleepingbag) since the band dried out. At 3:30z I was back at the RX but I could only hear 2 guys from the US: NB1B and K9DX both with 519. I didn't expect they hear me and they didn't.
That was it and at 4:30z I started dismantling my station in the dark (I had to catch my YL at the airport). In the mean time stars and the moon were out and a fresh brize dried my climbing ropes. Next things to do: Build a "real" 160m antenna and run a beverage towards US and one towards UA/JA (I have enough space). At last my DXCC climbed from 5 to 31 in one night :-))
And the picture below shows all squares I worked (the circles are 1000km):
Claimed Score
BAND Raw QSOs Valid QSOs Points __________________________________________
160CW 138 136 326 __________________________________________
Totals 138 136 326
Final Score = 326 points. As far as I understand with my 100W I can multiply score with 2 which gives 652 points.
Rate Sheet
HR 160 80 40 20 15 10 HR TOT CUM TOTAL SCORE -- ----- ------- -------- -------- -------- -------- ------ --------- ----- 15 2/0 --- --- --- --- --- 2/0 2/0 0.00M 16 7/0 --- --- --- --- --- 7/0 9/0 0.00M 17 23/0 --- --- --- --- --- 23/0 32/0 0.00M 18 13/0 --- --- --- --- --- 13/0 45/0 0.00M 19 13/0 --- --- --- --- --- 13/0 58/0 0.00M 20 19/0 --- --- --- --- --- 19/0 77/0 0.00M 21 14/0 --- --- --- --- --- 14/0 91/0 0.00M 22 8/0 --- --- --- --- --- 8/0 99/0 0.00M 23 34/0 --- --- --- --- --- 34/0 133/0 0.00M 0 1/0 --- --- --- --- --- 1/0 134/0 0.00M 1 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 134/0 0.00M 2 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 134/0 0.00M 3 1/0 --- --- --- --- --- 1/0 135/0 0.00M 4 1/0 --- --- --- --- --- 1/0 136/0 0.00M D1 133/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 133/0 D2 3/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 3/0 TO 136/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 136/0
Countries Worked
Prefix 160 80 40 20 15 10 Total Percent
------ --- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----- -------
4X 1 - - - - - 1 0.74
9A 4 - - - - - 4 2.94
DL 19 - - - - - 19 13.97
EA6 1 - - - - - 1 0.74
EI 2 - - - - - 2 1.47
ES 1 - - - - - 1 0.74
EU 1 - - - - - 1 0.74
F 4 - - - - - 4 2.94
G 17 - - - - - 17 12.50
GM 2 - - - - - 2 1.47
GU 1 - - - - - 1 0.74
GW 1 - - - - - 1 0.74
HA 8 - - - - - 8 5.88
HB 1 - - - - - 1 0.74
I 2 - - - - - 2 1.47
LY 6 - - - - - 6 4.41
OH 2 - - - - - 2 1.47
OK 18 - - - - - 18 13.24
OM 2 - - - - - 2 1.47
ON 5 - - - - - 5 3.68
PA 4 - - - - - 4 2.94
S5 10 - - - - - 10 7.35
SM 7 - - - - - 7 5.15
SP 3 - - - - - 3 2.21
UA 6 - - - - - 6 4.41
UA2 2 - - - - - 2 1.47
UA9 1 - - - - - 1 0.74
UR 2 - - - - - 2 1.47
YL 1 - - - - - 1 0.74
YU 2 - - - - - 2 1.47