3830
[Top] [All Lists]

[3830] N4BP FQP ROVER CW

To: <3830@contesting.com>
Subject: [3830] N4BP FQP ROVER CW
From: n4bp@bc.seflin.org (Bob Patten)
Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 02:38:50 -0400 (EDT)
COUNTY          40      20      15      10      TOT     MLT     SCORE
======          ==      ==      ==      ==      ===     ===     =====
BRO                     39      37               76      31      9424
PAL                     21      31       3       55      28      6160
HEN                     17      22       3       42      22      3696
GLA                     24      32               56      29      6496
HIG                     25      36               61      28      6832
POL                     25      46               71      35      9940
LAK             14      57      37       1      109      40     17440
VOL              9      46       3               58      33      7656
MAO             34      36       4       1       75      27      8100
SUM                     21       5               26      18      1872
HER                     30       1               31      21      2604
PAS                     36                       36      21      3024
HIL                     38       1               39      23      3588
MTE                     31                       31      18      2232
SAR                     42       4       1       47      24      4512
DES                     31                       31      16      1984
CHA                     47       3               50      24      4800
LEE                     36      12       2       50      26      5200
CLR                     47      26               73      32      9344
MON                     38      22               60      25      6000
DAD                     44      19               63      29      7308
===             ==      ==      ==      ==      ===     ===     =====
TOTAL           57     731     341      11     1140 (560 Sat / 580 Sun)

Kevin, K4PG and I drove 725 miles and filled the gas tank once in Ocala.
Our station and route were identical to last year's effort.  But this time,
we experienced several differences, all positive.  The obvious one was the
much improved band conditions.  While last year, we only made a handful of
QSOs on 15M (mostly with N6MU), this year we logged 341 on that band and even
managed a few on 10M.  This time we did NOT get lost looking for our hotel
and did NOT get lost in downtown Naples.  But I should mention that I made a
wrong turn right at the start of our route and began by heading east toward
Fort Lauderdale beach on I-595!  :-)  We had one near accident on the final
leg of the trip, narrowly missing an alligator on the Tamiami Trail.  But he
scurried back into the roadside canal as we approached.

Our station was the Icom-706MKII running 100W.  The antenna was a Hustler
mag-mounted on the trunk with resonators for 40/20/15 arranged on a "spider".
With the LDG ATU, we found that we could hear and be heard quite well on 10M
without changing resonators.  Although conditions started out very poorly on
Sunday, I did see the NA rate meter pass 200/hour at one point.  Always, it
seemed to be an initial rush of about 30 Q's followed by a long slump.  We
had a couple of minor station problems.  The computer screen was difficult
to see with some angles of the sun, and the 706 display went almost completely
dark as the sun heated it up.  Before next year, I'll device a hood to shield
both from the sun.  When operating 40M, we got occassional RF burns from
metal parts of the computer.  Apparently plenty of RF was also getting to the
antenna since we seemed to do well there.

All in all, a very rewarding trip with no real problems.  Kevin is incredible!
He had not been on CW in several months and his only contesting in recent
years has been with me in Field Day and the FQP.  Yet his performance would
rival that of any seasoned contester.  We look forward to the 2001 FQP!


           73,
                                   ,'' '',
     Bob Patten, N4BP              ( 0 0 )               Plantation, FL 
________________________________oOOo-(_)-oOO___________________________________

                         E-Mail: n4bp@bc.seflin.org
                     Web Page: http://www.qsl.net/n4bp
                     Brass Pounder BBS: (954) 472-7715       
                           SOC #1       Whiners #6


--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/3830faq.html
Submissions:              3830@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  3830-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-3830@contesting.com


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • [3830] N4BP FQP ROVER CW, Bob Patten <=