North American QSO Party, CW - January
Call: W8FN
Operator(s): W8FN
Station: W8FN
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: NTX
Operating Time (hrs): 10
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 43 22
80: 103 39
40: 210 46
20: 348 42
15: 39 18
10:
-------------------
Total: 743 167 Total Score = 124,081
Club: DFW Contest Group
Team: DFWCG MARBLE
Comments:
This running of NAQP went pretty well for me. Conditions weren't the best, but
there were plenty of QSOs to be had. As usual for my station 20 was the money
band, and this time it didn't seem to fold up as early. 40 was a solid producer
as well and it also hung in there longer.
The multiplier count was MUCH better this time. This was because I made much
more effective use of the second radio in the first half of the contest. Some
adjustments to the audio switching setup made keeping things straight in my head
easier. The second radio accounted for approximately 20% of the QSOs in the
first 4 or 5 hours while I was running on 20. I think I'm finally learning how
to do SO2R better. There are still some problems with something in my local
environment that's causing generation of harmonics and noise that get into the
other radios. This stuff is apparently being re-radiated, as I know my filtering
and shielding is good enough to suppress any garbage generated by the
transmitters themselves, especially at the 100W level.
As usual, diversity reception is your friend on 40 meters and lower. As things
are presently configrued here I can only use the Pixel loop as a diversity
receive antenna, but it makes a BIG difference, especially when there's fast QSB
like I encountered on 40. Results on 80 were better than expected, given my
relatively poor vertical antenna. I could eventually get through to most
stations I could hear, although I didn't beat out too many other competing
callers. 160 was a big surprise. I went there at the top of my last operating
hour (0300Z) expecting to work two or three stations for new multipliers. I
ended up staying on 160 the entire last hour with a very decent S&P rate
with 43 QSOs and 22 mults.
Winter NAQP runnings are usually more fun than the summer sessions and this one
proved to be no exception. But I'll undoubtedly be in there pitching come the
August version. Thanks for all the points, and see y'all next time.
73...
Randy, W8FN
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