Florida QSO Party
Call: N8II
Operator(s): N8II
Station: N8II
Class: SOABMixed LP
QTH: WV
Operating Time (hrs): 16.5
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs
--------------------
40: 156 39
20: 209 227
15: 4 0
10: 0 0
--------------------
Total: 369 266 CW Mults = 67 Ph Mults = 58 Total Score = 250,250
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
Until this year, the FQP had been a contest of low expectations due to long skip
over FL on 20. Things sounded pretty dreadful on 40, before the start, so I
figured it would be a part time effort. After breaking 60 Q's/hr the first 2
hours, I was pretty well hooked. 40 was indeed really poor with no real opening
to FL until 21Z, but 20 was open well even to northern FL for the first 3 hours.
By 2030Z, north FL was gone for the day on 20, and south FL almost dispappeared
around 23Z, but reappeared with little activity later.
I was lucky not to have to QRT for a thunderstorm which passed south of me
right towards FL. The QRN level was high on 20 and 40 slowing me down from 18Z
thru Saturday evening, but signals were excellent on 40 and the activity was
intense there from 2330-0100Z.
Sunday featured more typical condx for the bottom of the cycle. On 20 northern
FL was very hard to work all day long despite southern FL appearing by 1330Z;
the best condx were around 1430Z. I kept plugging away chasing the moblies and
surprisingly found quite a few on 40, but N4KK was a loner there early
afternoon mainly due to very marginal condx. The sporadic E on 15 was not there
in my area; all of the 4 Q's were whisper weak backscatter. But, 20 did improve
during that period. I only took one unecessary break to walk the dog for 30
minutes. Fatigue was a problem on Sunday.
I should have worked harder moving the rare counties to phone early. Many
thanks to the N4KK and K4KG teams for moving to phone for several phone mults.
I also made the most Q's with them. And thanks to K4OJ, NO5W, N4EEB, KN4Y,
N4CJ, N4BP, KC4HW, and W4AN (missed a lot due to no prop to north FL) for all
of the Q's. Without the mobiles, it would not be worth the time and effort.
I had 66 counties total by around noon Sunday, but needed JAC for a combined
mode sweep. Finally around 2030Z, KC4HW appeared on 40 from JAC and after a
struggle, he heard me. K4OJ (I think) passed thru CHA on 20 shortly thereafter
to complete the sweep on CW.
40 was a pleasant surprise on CW; my antenna here is only a sloping dipole and
was beaten 100% of the time by K3WW and K7SV as well as frequently by VA3DX in
the 40M pile-ups. I never expected to break 150 40M CW Q's. Thanks to the FCG
for sponsoring this fun event. 1000 Q's from out of state is only some more
sunspots or good Es opening away.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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