NA QSO SUMMARY SHEET
Contest Dates : 11-Jan-97, 12-Jan-97
Callsign Used : N4VI
Operators : CHRIS ADAMS
Category : CW, Single Op
Default Exchange : Chris CO
Rig: Kenwood TS-870S
Antennas:
80M Homebrew 40/20/15m vertical
40m Dipole and 40/20/15 vertical - No traps, single driven elem.
See
10/95 QST
20m 40/20/15 vertical
15m 40m dipole
BAND Raw QSOs Valid QSOs Points Mults
__________________________________________________
80CW 59 59 59 29
40CW 123 123 123 37
20CW 75 75 75 33
15CW 3 3 3 3
__________________________________________________
Totals 260 260 260 102
Final Score = 26520 points.
I wasn't to excited about the contest as I had done nothing to improve
the lackluster antenna farm. So... heck I didn't even know exactly when
it started. Was planning in the back of my mind to start at 2PM
(21:00z) and as I was reading the rules figured out the contest had been
under way for some time! No big deal. Fired up the rig and brought the
coax in through the sliding glass door (note this is not so good when
outside temperatures are below zero!) Never checked 10m, 15 was open
but sounded like it was closing down. So started on 15m (21:20z) and
quickly moved to 20m (21:30z).
Never tried to "run" on 20m, the vertical just doesn't have enuff umph
for that, but was getting almost everyone on the 1st try. Had two
people "move me" to 40m? Now where the heck is Colorado I'm thinking
(now, now, we're not talking geography here!), but where are K0RF, N2IC
not to mention numerous others. This is my fifth NA QSO party and the
1st time I've ever been solicited to QSY (aside from casual mention from
multi-ops). Well, this is cool, I'm almost line of sight with K0RF, so
I don't mind him not overloading the receiver! Stayed on 20m for the
next 2 1/2 hours and then went to 40m.
40 was hopping, the rate meter hit 60 doing search and pounce for a
little while.. that's small potatoes to the big guys, but I enjoy it
none the less! Milk 40m until 0322z, things have slowed down and the
bands gone long. Here too much broadcast BS, etc. Tried more then once
to run the frequency, once with a small amount of success.
Now it was to the point of basically going QRT. Some time ago I had
taken down my 2nd 40m dipole (crossed dipoles) to add/change it to an 80
m dipole. It came down but somehow never got back up. In the past I
have tried the vertical on 80m and the rig will match it but results had
been underwhelming. I figured what the heck, I can at least get a few
mults. Well, the band sounded great (and quiet). Many many thanks to
everyone who worked me on 80m, nothing short of amazing!
Special recognition to N9FD, who had no idea that for 30 minutes I was
doing S & P with a 6 month old in my lap. Kate was amazingly well
behaved for most of the 30 minutes until I tried to work Steve. He
persevered through Kate's QRM and made a QSO out of it. Didn't do much
for his rate! Way to hang in there Steve.
Also, I've been inactive from 1981 until Sweepstakes of 1995. Every CW
contest, there's always a few times when I become enemies with the keyer
and sound totally incompetent. I'm happy to report that the incidents
are decreasing in number and duration! Of course, if I would operate at
all between contests, I bet that would help ALOT!
Hope to get a 80/160 vertical up before next weekends phone NAQP. I?d
say the odds are 50/50 with the below zero weather. Now why didn?t I do
any of this antenna work around Christmas when it was 60 -70 degrees
outside, or better yet last summer when it was daylight until 9pm!
Didn?t mean to bore you, I?m outta here and hope to see you next
weekend. ...and I will know when it starts!
73's
Chris, n4vi (wb4lhk, n4vi,ke0rd)
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