Michigan QSO Party
Call: K8BB
Operator(s): N8NM, K8BB
Station: K8BB
Class: Mobile Multi-Op LP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 12
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs
--------------------
80: 154 36
40: 381 79
20: 159 8
15:
10:
--------------------
Total: 724 123 CW Mults = 71 Ph Mults = 48 Total Score = 186,949
Club: Mad River Radio Club
Comments:
Station:
- Ford E150 van (70k miles)
- Icom 765 modified for DC operation
- three HamStick antennas with triple-magnet mounts on the roof
- NA software for logging
- DeLorme StreetAtlas for navigation
Wow - a big thanks to the crew who puts this contest together and does a fine
job with "P.R." in the weeks leading up to it. Also, a big thanks to all who
sat there chasing the mobiles around. Friendship and camaraderie aside, it
helps make the trip worth the price - time, sweat, and fuel become measurable
commodities without lots of QSOs!
This was the second year that long-time friends K8BB and N8NM teamed up to go
mobile: last year was in K8BB's Jeep; this time was in N8NM's van. If we can
liken the back seat of the Jeep, complete with radio gear, to having the
comfort and maneuverability of a phone booth in a submarine, then N8NM's van is
a state room on the Queen Mary. We set up the "radio room" in the back seat on a
folding table, in front of a "captain's chair" for the operating position. The
radio desk put the computer and key conveniently right in front of the operator
and held the radio and antenna tuner, which were both strapped down for safety.
Also at hand were cup holders, snack holders, climate controllers, useful task
lighting, and an LCD TV/DVD should the bands really stink. Three multi-magnets
held the HamSticks on the roof and an array of tools and supplies (including
back-up station components) were within reach in the back. In the "wheelhouse"
we used another laptop computer with GPS navigation to keep us on route and on
schedule - K8BB and N8NM each only made one wrong turn and we made our last QSO
at 11:59pm while pulling in to N8NM's driveway.
We are fortunate to have found computers that produce no RF hash. Both laptops
run directly from 12vdc. The logging computer is a Compaq 486 that has a direct
120v connector and a direct 12v connector. The navigation computer is an IBM
Pentium II business-class computer (built like a brute) that actually runs on
16v. However, I have tested this at 13.8-14.1vdc (which is what most vehicles
actually produce when the engine is running) and the computer is usually quite
satisfied at this voltage. Occasionally when the engine reduces to idle and if
there are lots of other current-intensive devices running, like headlights,
A/C, wipers, and the transmitter, the computer will think it has been unplugged
and will switch to internal battery for a moment. Then, once you accelerate, or
the transmitter lets up, it is back on car power. I have used these two
computers for 5 or 6 mobile efforts and they have behaved flawlessly. When
setting up the radio equipment, we started testing before we were finished. We
had some major RF problems - hideous audio and locking-up CW. Once we grounded
the station components to a good chassis ground, we never had a single RF issue
again. There is a lesson to be learned here ...
We remarked to ourselves that it was nice to have relatively good conditions.
At one point, we worked N8MR/mobile in Emmett County on 80m, with the previous
QSO in Maryland, the following QSO in Montana, and we heard OM2VL very loud -
signals were coming from everywhere! We also worked a few Upper Peninsula
mobiles and W8UE/mobile in the Lower Peninsula. While we missed W3USA
completely (I thought I heard his signal on 80m in the last hour), conditions
seemed almost able to support more in-state mobile-to-mobile QSOs, which made
the fixed stations a slam-dunk. We managed to work some 75m SSB stuff on the
80m antenna by moving CW guys to the very bottom of the phone subband (3605)
for the multipliers where the CW antenna would still somewhat work. Later we
installed a 75m antenna and also worked some stations around 3800, including a
short "run" at 3833. Hearing such good 80m signals in nearly broad daylight
made us wish that maybe we had tried it earlier. However, it would have come at
the expense of 20m, which proved to net a lot of QSOs. There were a few times
that N8NM (better than me at checking 20m for activity) listened on 20m CW and
heard no signals, but called CQ anyway and got a big pileup. I tried 20m SSB a
few times but could not get anything going. Maybe there is a lesson to be
learned here, too ... SO2R mobile?
The weather seemed to compliment the favorable conditions. It was clear and
sunny most of the day. The late afternoon brought some clouds right when they
were needed to cut the low-angle glare while driving or trying to see the
computer screen. We did experience some rain around KZOO, but it only lasted a
few counties and we felt glad that there was no storm-related QRN to fight off.
This kept 40m and 80m nice and quiet, from an atmospheric point of view. (As an
aside note: I ran mobile in the Ohio QSO party in 2004 with W8MJ and 2006 with
KK8I and both years involved heavy QRN from large summertime thunderstorms.
This time was much easier.)
Aside from blowing up or arcing-over two antenna tuners in N8NM's driveway
Thursday afternoon (Dentron Super-Tuner didn't fail!) we had no major equipment
problems. We did have a few "oops" occurrences, however. The first of which was
the KEY. I use a black Wm. Nye paddle for these outings because of its
understated visual appeal (read: it is butt-ugly) and its (apparent)
durability. Yes, we managed to break it. Some of the internal screws that hold
the whole mechanism together started working themselves loose. Over time our
sending became very QLF because the paddle was literally falling apart inside.
When we stopped for gas at the end of Kalamazoo County, we went off the air for
a bit to take the cover off and fix it. Another "oops" occurrence was when I
swapped out the 20m antenna for the 75m antenna, but discovered I had packed
the 80m stinger for it by mistake, giving us two 80m antennas and no 75m
antenna. I managed to scrounge an Allen wrench when we stopped for gas and made
a blind adjustment. It turned out to work â?? the antenna SWR dipped at 3802 and
the internal tuner took care of the rest. There were also some route problems.
Part of the problem is that I don't do a very good job of planning when we
should cross county lines. I tried to shoot for 30 minutes in each county, but
the best paths through some of the counties were upwards of 25 miles and often
through small towns where local traffic and speed limits prohibit the 60MPH
necessary to make it to the county line on time. (Note to self: plan ahead ...
) Also, I mistakenly had an extra county in our schedule that I had pulled out
of our route. By the
tenth county or so, it looked like we were getting 10-15 minutes behind without
much hope for catching up. We eventually fell about 1/2 hour behind schedule,
and around that time we discovered the extra county in the schedule and
corrected ourselves. Now, I have made this same mistake several times before -
of not planning appropriate time IN each county for the intended route THROUGH
each county. Shouldn't I have learned? Lastly, there were some road issues.
There is something to be said for Michigan roads ... (go ahead and say it ... )
and some of our "lid moments" on the air were due to awful surfaces, taking
curves too fast, or sudden stops - you can't run a "yellow" light with nobody
behind you if there is a cop sitting at the intersection!
Overall, this was a big improvement from last year in three major areas: our
station was much more comfortable; conditions were much better; our score is up
considerably. Last year we submitted a score of 121,900 points. This year's
score of 186,949 is an improvement of 53%!
73 and thanks for the Qs!
Don K8BB and Steve N8NM
Most Worked Stations:
23 - WA3HAE
18 - W8AV
17 - W1UE
14 - WA2VYA
13 - KN4Y
12 - K8GU, OM2VL, N8NA
11 - AE1T, DL3DXX, K8MQP, K8XXX
10 - AD8J, K9OM, VA7RN, W7LPF
Most Worked Locations:
77 - PA
61 - FL
52 - OH
38 - MN
33 - MA
32 - IN
30 - TN, TX
26 - DX (Thanks!!!)
25 - NJ, WA
24 - IL
20 - GA, NH
18 - AZ, CA, MO, VA
14 - BC, DE, KS, WV
13 - AL, MD
12 - CO, WASHTENAW, WI
11 - BARRY, NY
10 - MT
County QSO Breakdown:
County CW SSB
OTSE 36 12
CHEB 25 13
EMME 28 7
CHAR 35
ANTR 38 4
GRTR 36 7
LEEL 23 9
BENZ 35 1
MANI 44 1
MASO 36 13
OCEA 19 2
MUSK 22 1
OTTA 29 7
ALLE 27 10
VANB 32 1
KZOO 36 5
STJO 42 5
BRAN 14
CALH 53 2
EATO 48
INGH 31 3
LIVI 23 4
OAKL 26 2
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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