Oklahoma QSO Party
Call: K5YAA
Operator(s): K5YAA
Station: K5YAA
Class: Rover-Assisted LP
QTH: OK
Operating Time (hrs): .1
Summary:
Band CW-Dig Qs Ph Qs
------------------------
160: 0 0
80: 0 0
40: 0 0
20: 1 0
15: 0 0
10: 0 0
6: 0 0
------------------------
Total: 1 0 Mults = 1 Total Score = 2
Club: Oklahoma DX Association
Comments:
Gene, W5LE is working on our actual log. Motoring along Hwy 75 at about noon
Sunday I was very interested to know how many counties may have been activated.
For some reason, even with the WX as bad as it was it seemed to me we may have
put all 77 on again for the 3rd straight year. That was my hope. I asked N2CU
how many mults he had logged - I used K5YAA when I asked him. Although I was
running with Gene W5LE in my new mobile set up as W5LE/M I let Tom know it was
me at the keyboard by signing my call. He asked me - "A Q?" - so I gave him an
exchange. His log is the only one with my call in it!
So, I'm using that Q to give this preliminary report on our "Adventure" as
W5LE/M from the "Oklahoma Land Rush Mobile". We will expand on our excursion
when we post the "real" score. A few photos of the snow, slush, ice and one of
the operators will be posted later - likely on QRZ at K5YAA and maybe on the
okdxa.org web site. If you like looking at what snow and ice can do to the
best laid plans of mice and men - give a look later in the week.
Our enthusiasm was only slightly dimmed by The WX forecast. Thse guys aren't
really that good at knowing what is going to happen anyway. They were this
time though. We were up and at it at 6AM Saturday morning ready to meet my
objective of 2,500 QSOs. Running High Power and having everything tested fully
and ready to go 2,500 seemed possible. We expected 15 meters would be a great
place to add qsos to the log. The Tarheel antenna was 1.1:1 on 80 meters and
only a tad higher on every band we planned to work - 40, 20 and 15. On Friday
around noon during some of our final testing, a CQ by Gene on 17 meters yielded
a small pile of europeans. This thing really talks. It was going to be a fun
jaunt across Oklahoma doin' some land grabbin.
Spares were available and loaded for most equipment including two Honda 2000
generators, two TS480s and even a spare tire for the trailer. Fuses for the
amp, three headsets, three marine batteries, 2 battery chargers - we even
considered carrying the kitchen sink. Even with all those trappings the
operating position, up front, was clutter free and very comfortable. Yes,
indeed, it was going to be a fun jaunt across the state.
On our way to the CHErokee ADAir Line the first generator shut down. Would not
restart. We figured rain/sleet had found it's way into the carburetor.
Whatever the reason it would not fire back up so we smiled and said - "That's
why we had a second one. Brand new it would surely be up to the task. We lit
it off and were underway again running High Power! Made a few Delaware county
Qs and got set up on the CHE/ADA Line on a nice rise in the real estate. Gene
ran the rate meter to 250+ with nice pileups on 20 and 40 - mainly 40. We're
cookin now. Onward to Ottawa county with me at the keyboard. Great reports but
20 still a bit puny. Early I suppose but listen to those east coast guys
working the Russians. A handful of very large european signals made it in our
log. We are still cookin! Uhhh, the AC just gave out. Hmmm, #2 generator
stopped in it's tracks. The new one... Same kind of WX related problem as it
became caked with snow and ice. Gee, will 100 watts really let us play. It
did but QRO would surely have made it easier for others to hear us. Oh well,
press on. Large flakes were falling on us in Ottawa, Craig, Nowata - well in
all the northern route counties. Years ago Oklahoma had only two snow plows, 1
in the west and 1 in the east. So it seemed anyway. There are quite a few more
now as the roads were getting cleaned - we know they were as we followed a
number of SLOW snow plows across two or three counties - 25 - 30 MPH max at
times until they pulled over and let the crowd by. The schedule was being
altered but little we could do about it. Turns out later that day we did
indeed not make it to some of our planned western - southwestern counties due
to the time lost. Some of it was due to the fact we didn't feel we needed to
install our own snow plow on the front of my Dodge Caravan. One would have
been handy in a couple of counties. We did make our scheduled hotel rooms
Saturday evening after a very good meal and a "few" drinks to wash it down
with. Sunday had to be better? It turns out it was and the "Rest of the story"
will be completed with our actual score writeup. Suffice it to say - it was a
great idea to carry a full set of hamstiks and mounts as backup antennas. The
ice and snow eventually caused havoc with the quite reliable Tarheel and the
auto tune feature we had installed. The trailer needs a new paint job BUT we
didn't have to use that spare tire!!
73 for now - more later - it was a grand adventure indeed. Quite a learning
experience. One last comment. We counted at least three dozen vehicles off
the road and had to turn around for two jack knifed semi-trucks - fortunately
we never became one of the off road vehicles..
73 es thanks to all of you that worked us and the other road warriors in the
2010 Oklahoma QSO Party
Jerry - K5YAA
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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