If you have 'em - use 'em

This weekend is the CQ WW 160 Meter Contest - for the rules you can go here.

160 Meters presents a challenge for those of us who operate from small, suburban lots. Not a lot of real estate for full sized dipoles.

My W3EDP loads up on 160 Meters rather well with the aid of an antenna tuner and I've gotten out into the Midwest using QRP power levels. If I get the opportunity to get down to the shack this weekend, it might be an interesting exercise to make some QSOs and then map them to see just how well and where the W3EDP radiates to.

The problem I have is similar to what John K3WWP seems to be experiencing, if you keep up with reading his daily online diary. I also have horrific noise with my wire antennas in the evenings on both 80 and 160 Meters. I have not actively searched the neighborhood with a portable radio to possibly locate the problem. That is something I should do. There is a neighbor two doors down from me who has solar panels mounted on the roof. I am wondering if any inverters kick in during the evenings to convert stored DC to AC? Maybe that's what the problem is. The KX3's noise blanker and noise reduction circuity help somewhat, but they don't eliminate the interference.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!