Call: VE3RZ
Operator(s): VE3RZ 
Station: VE3RZ

Added: 25/Jan/2009
Contest: CQ 160-METER CONTEST, CW
Class: SINGLE OP ASSISTED HP
QTH: ON
Operating time: 15

Summary: 
Total:  QSOs = 605  State/Prov = 58  Countries = 61  
Total Score = 388,178
Club: 

Soapbox: 

I knew that I had no chance for a
full time effort so I thought I would
try and get a good run on Friday
evening/Saturday morning.  Got home
from work early and looking forward to
starting at new time of 5:00pm local -
only to find that when I went out to
see if antenna in good shape, the
inverted L was lying in the snow.... 
Had to try and get it up fast - one of
the rope supports had broken due to
frayed rope against tree limb....So, I
changed around the antenna,
ending up
with a long slope from the feed point
to the attachment in tree at about 45
feet up.  Then a slope down to one of
the apple trees... Total length is
about 155feet. Weather of course, was
about -20C with wind chill and there
was about 2ft of snow in the back
yard... Got back into shack and with
fingers crossed I tried the SWR -
great 1.2:1  So after losing first
hour we tried some S&Ping - decided to
use DXCluster to see how many
countries could be worked.  I think
everyone has said it, the conditions
were FANTASTIC, I have never heard so
much DX on 160m and many times it
sounded just like 20m. Worked through
local sunrise then went to bed - but
not before 400Qs 54 Sections and 55
countries in the log.  Felt very good
as I had only ever worked 20 countries
before in a 160m contest.  Saturday
night was lost as I had to attend a
birthday party in Toronto - so only
got back at about 11:45pm local time.

Still managed to work a goodly number
of stations, including the last ones
for a WAS finishing with WC7S (thanks)
for the only WY station I heard. 
Heard VE4 S&Ping early in contest, but
never again. Nothing heard from Artic
Canada. Good to work KL7RA and KH6LC. 
Clearly heard OY9 but pileup too bad
to get through. 
Other DX heard but
not worked included HD2, RW0, JA, ZC4.
 Glad to work 40 Eu countries and got
through pile up to 6W.

Setup: K2/100
& Command HF1250 - 1000w        Ant:
Low inverted L        S/W: N1MM


Thanks for all the Qs and looking
forward to the next one..

Tony Ve3rZ