North American QSO Party, CW
Call: N0AV
Operator(s): N0AV
Station: N0AV
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: IA
Operating Time (hrs): 9
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 22 13
80: 89 30
40: 178 39
20: 212 44
15: 96 33
10: 25 12
-------------------
Total: 622 171 Total Score = 106,362
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Team: SMC Team #1
Comments:
I had an excellent start this time and was really thinking I was making progress
with this SO2R thing. I followed the normal plan, taking most of my off time in
the afternoon and felt I was doing pretty well despite the solar event. 20 and
40 were both decent but most attempts at moving mults to 10 and 15 were not
successful. The rate began to fall and I was a little worried about my low mult
total also but told myself I had not touched 80 and 160 yet and they always seem
to work well here. About this time my 13 year old son came in and told me we
were in a tornado watch until midnight and that there was a large t-storm
showing on radar to our northwest. He is fascinated with storms so I did not
worry much about his announcement but did bring up radar on the computer
(Writelog runs great here with the radar screen minimized!) The storm was
tracking just to my north so I figured I better get to 80 before it got any
closer. There seemed to be lots of stations active so I found a spot and worked
a few, despite the noise. I put radio two on 40 and this worked well for awhile
but as the noise increased I had to have both ears on the run rig. There was
just two much static to pull calls out of the mess with one ear. I moved to 160
to get Pat, W5WMU in the log but after working him there I could hear nothing
else but static crashes. This was the beginning of the end...for the next 90
minutes I struggled with some of the worst QRN I have EVER heard in any contest.
The very slow moving storm finally mercifully forced me off the air about 0500Z.
The last few hours are usually the best in NAQP but not this time for me. I
apologize to all the callers I could not hear and for all the repeats I asked
for! Did I mention I love this contest?? REALLY!...NAQP rules! See everyone in
NAQP Phone!
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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