Florida QSO Party
Call: N8II
Operator(s): N8II
Station: N8II
Class: SOABMixed HP
QTH: WV
Operating Time (hrs): 5.3
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs
--------------------
40: 0 0
20: 138 50
15: 35 10
10: 1 0
--------------------
Total: 174 60 CW Mults = 62 Ph Mults = 30 Total Score = 37,352
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
I just was not that enthusiastic about FQP based on what I expected to be long
skip based on recent 20M low solar flux conditions and 15 being closed to most
of CONUS lately. Then life intervened, took XYL out to breakfast, then farmers
market, then Home Depot. Back home I had to install replacement baseboard
heater (29 year old had failed/shorted), then lunch, and it was already 1815Z
and not in the mood to operate with dog to walk still. I made a few Q's on 20
around 01Z with band wide open to all but very northern FL.
Sunday was a pleasant surprise. From 14Z until 21Z, 15 was always open to south
FL and at times pretty far north as well especially in the 14Z hour, then around
17-18Z. 15 phone was pretty disappointing and 20 phone was less than expected,
but CW Q's abounded thanks to 1X1's and the wolf pack of mobiles! I told K4OJ
on 20 that 15 was open and they promptly set up shop on 21049 for the rest of
the day!
So, every time they moved to a new county, I QSY'ed to catch them on the 2nd
band. The last 2 counties on 15 were backscatter, but completed Q's no
problem.
I have never experienced such a well organized/disciplined use of
"channels" for mobiles as there was this year. The 500 Hz spacing of
channels worked out well on 20 CW and you knew who was where. Out of FL
activity seemed high enough that the mobiles seldom ran out of callers, and I
had about an 80-85% first call success rate. Signals from south FL were
actually louder on 15 than 20, some real boomers up there. It seemed like some
of the mobiles never took a break all day on 20, notably K4OJ, W4AN (John,
K4BAI still iron man), and K4KG (thanks for SSB counties!). There were so many
mobiles that at times it was hard to keep up with them all. Special kudos to Ed
KN4Y, not a young man with arthritis who ran around all day over the rarer
panhandle counties. And many thanks to mobiles AD4ES, N4CW, K1RQ, N5NA, K1XX,
N4GI, and N4FP for many counties.
The whole affair was a class act! I had fun once I finally dove into it. WV
activity was sparse judging by comments I received, so was glad to help out
some with the mult and I did a lot of spotting also. I did not use spots, they
take away the challenge and some of the fun for me.
Take care and 73, Jeff
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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