I did a lot of checking of 160 meters over the weekend and was amazed how good the signals were and how much activity I heard.  I always tune for the Colorado boys to see how well they are doing.  I've worked the contest in years gone by with a shunt fed 55 foot tower once and 100 watts output  and another time, with 85 foot slopers with coiles at the top for matching and it is always fun to work.  I only have the G5RV up at 35 feet and my SWR is 18 to 1 down low in the band so I can't get on the band but I heard a friend in western Colorado so I tried and running 14 watts output, worked him after a few call exchanges.  K0DU is in western Colorado and along with K0CL and K0UK, both old time contesters, and just a wire hanging out, they made 1,264 Q with 54 countries and the first night alone, they worked 56 Japanese all under Jerry's call of K0DU.  I heard the Colorado boys, at times, working Europeans, whom I could not copy, and of course, the east coast stations were working Europe like we work Japan from here in Colorado.  So it is true once again; when the upper bands are poor, the low wave bands work better.  Running 100 watts, I have worked all states on 160, except for the state of Maine, which I heard and chased all over the band during a contest and never snagged, and a few Caribbean.  I have copied, with poor short antennas, Vk and UA and JA, however, on 160.  I posted an article that was published in the old World Radio news magazine called "A Short Vertical For The Top Band," hear on the list which was only 32 foot tall and running 100W, worked east and west coast and KH6 with it, many times, and had a ball even with the low power.

Phil.
K0NX