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[3830] MSQP NO5W Mobile LP

To: 3830@contesting.com
Subject: [3830] MSQP NO5W Mobile LP
From: webform@b4h.net
Reply-to: no5w@consolidated.net
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:11:14 -0800
List-post: <3830@contesting.com">mailto:3830@contesting.com>
                    Mississippi QSO Party

Call: NO5W
Operator(s): NO5W
Station: NO5W

Class: Mobile LP
QTH: TX
Operating Time (hrs): 9.5

Summary:
 Band  CW-Dig Qs  Ph Qs
------------------------
   80:               
   40:    570       0
   20:    141       0
   15:               
   10:               
    6:               
    2:               
------------------------
Total:    711       0  Mults = 44  Total Score = 31,284

Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club

Comments:

Equipment -

Radio: IC-7000 at 75W
Antenna: HI-Q 4/80 with MFJ-1924 controller
Vehicle: 2002 Pathfinder
USB Hub: Navigator by US Interface
Serial Keyer: WinKey by K1EL - contained in USB Hub
GPS: Garmin 18PC-DLX
Mapping Software: Streets & Trips
Logging Software: CQ/X de NO5W version 1.7.4

Wow, what a fun time we had in our fourth outing as a rover in the 2008 MS QSO
Party! Our 2008 results (711Q/44M=31284) exceeded our previous best from 2005
(534Q/38M=20292) by a significant margin and in fact would rival our first day
results from such well-attended QSO parties as FQP, GQP, OKQP, and TXQP. So
what made up the difference between 2005 and 2008? Nothing surprising there
just: 
     participation, 
     interest created by additional mobiles, 
     Murphy held at bay, 
     number of counties and the ability of the driver to drive the route
     good weather, and good roads.

Participation -
In 2008 we had 127 different calls in the log as opposed to 115 calls in the
2005 log so there was about a 10% increase in the number of different stations
but not a significant increase. However, in 2008 29 stations worked us 10 or
more times whereas in 2005 only 17 stations managed to call in that often. So
in terms of participation more stations stuck with us and called in throughout
the day. 

Thanks to the following stations for being on the frequent caller list by
virtue of working us 10 or more times: W6RLL(31), W0QE(24), NU0Q(20), K8CW(19),
K8QWY(19), N9QS(19), KO1U(18), KA9JAC(18), N8II(18), W9MSE(18), KF2O(17),
WA7JHQ(17), K9WA(16), K5UV(16), W2LHL(15), W7GVE(15), K4YT(14), W8WVU(14),
K4PBY(14), W2CVW(13), KB8OMG(13), N6MU(13), K4AMC(13), CU2JT(11), K9UIY(11),
K0GSV(11), AD8W(11), KB6TAL(10), K5OT(10).

Mobile Activity -
In-state mobile activity was up this year with at least five mobiles on the
road. This created more interest and incentive for the out-of-state stations to
stick with the party and is probably one of the main reasons for the increase in
number of frequent callers noted above. Thanks to K4ZGB, W5XX, KS5A, N5CW and
any others that may have ventured out mobile that I'm not aware of.

Murphy Stayed Home -
The software and hardware worked fine although the 20M tuning on the antenna
was touchy and seemed to vary quite a bit during the day. There were two close
encounters with Murphy due to operating errors but we managed to avoid him both
times. The first was at a break somewhere in the delta. With the keys in the
ignition and the spare set also in the car we both got out to stretch our legs
and out of habit I proceeded to lock the car. Fortunately, I managed to catch
the door as I was closing it. The spare set then went in my pocket! The second
encounter happened as we were pulling out of a country church parking lot in
Choctaw county after a nice 40M run at one of the quietest locations that we
found all day. We'd taken a lunch break after the run was over and I still had
half a can of lemonade which was on the operating desk as we headed out. When
that pot hole in the church driveway was hit the can remained upright but it's
contents managed to slosh out and land right on the laptop keyboard, right
there by the enter key. Fortunately, with visions of hand-keying and logging
the remainder of the party, I was successful in mopping up the damage and the
keyboard never missed a key stroke.  

Route -
A month or so before the party I received an email from KS5A indicating that he
and NN9K would be coming over/down from (AZ/IL) to run mobile in the MS QP as a
driver/operator team. He went on to indicate that they were interested in
running the "southern loop" that I had run in the past and would I would be
interested in running a different route this year. I welcomed the chance to try
something different and began to try out a few routes on the driver. She
rejected, as being too short, my first routes that had us spending a some time
in the delta region and then hitting I-55 back south through Jackson for the
trip back into Louisiana. She nixed the idea of going through Jackson as being
too likely to present traffic problems and said that some time in the delta was
ok but she wanted to traverse clear across the state to the Starkville area
followed by a run down part of the eastern edge of the state and then returning
to I-55 for the trip back into Louisiana while avoiding Jackson. So with that in
mind a route was developed by removing a few delta counties, finding a nice
highway across to Starkville, finding another down to Meridian, and then an
interstate back toward Jackson but with a country road to pick up several
counties just east of Jackson and I-55. 

When all that was done Streets and Trips indicated a 550 mile route covering 26
counties. Ouch -- that was about 150 miles longer than our usual 400 mile/day
route and I had my doubts that we'd be able to complete all 26. But my driver
never ceases to amaze me and 0030Z found us having worked out the entire plan.
After such a sucessful run and with time still on the clock it was difficult to
call it a day but by that time the driver was toast and even I was getting a
little crispy around the edges. So we packed it in, headed down into Louisiana,
bought a nice bottle of wine and discussed the day over some good Louisiana
boiled shrimp.

Here's some route statistics:

County      Time     QSOs  TenMinRate AvgRate

WARren      17:19     19      84         66
ISSaquena   05:40     14      84        148
SHArkey     33:11     33     114         60
HUMphreys   42:17     33      36         47
YAZoo       20:04     28     120         84
SUNflower   18:21     18      84         59
LEFlore     32:14     40      72         74
CARroll     15:57     26     138         98
MontGomerY  20:49     28      84         81
WEBester    26:56     30     132         67
CHOctaw     23:30     28     156         71
OKTibbeha   21:45     29      78         80
LOWdnes     12:10     25     144        123 
NOXubee     34:18     44     168         77
KEMper      21:48     33     108         91 
LAUderdale  30:39     24      90         47
NEWton      20:26     36     186        106
SCOtt       25:31     30     114         71
SMIth       09:27     17     102        108
RANkin      06:50     16      96        140
SIMpson     27:39     30     102         67
COPiah      40:33     36     138         53
LINcoln     23:38     28      84         71
PIKe        27:20     35     102         77
AMIte       08:29     22      72        147
FRAnklin    10:41     21     126        118

Time is Minutes:Seconds in county. TenMinRate is the hourly rate during the
first ten minutes after entry into the county. Also note that dupes have not
been removed from these calculations.

The above averages out to about 22 minutes per county which is close to my
general target value of about 20 minutes per county (at least when most of the
action is on a single band). However, Humphreys was unproductive and long and
Issaquena was productive but too short. Not much can be done about the length
of Humphreys but we could have parked and  spent more time in counties like
Issaquena, Lowndes, Smith, Rankin, and Amite.

40M was definitely the money band although the QRN from local line noise was
often difficult to deal with and later in the day the QRM with the NAQP RTTY
contest made for tough going. I tried moving up to 7125 to avoid the RTTY, as
K4BAI suggested in his comments on the LA QP, but could never get anything
going on that frequency. 20M had much less noise but, except for a few
regulars, it was difficult to get a run going on 20M. I made several attempts
on 15M but with no success even when I asked a 20M station to QSY to a
specified 15M frequency.

In summary it was a great party and one that others with mobile capability and
within striking distance of MS should try. Thanks to W5XX for sponsoring the
party and for treating us to dinner on Friday evening. As always thanks to my
wife, Keri, for keeping us moving down the green line and for her usual
outstanding driving.

Look for us in the upcoming OK QP when we will make our first attempt at
multi-two mobile with W5ZL and KU5B sharing the driving and operating duties.

73/Chuck/NO5W


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