Pennsylvania QSO Party
Call: W3USA/M
Operator(s): W1NN
Station: W3USA/M
Class: Mobile LP
QTH: 13 Counties
Operating Time (hrs): 22
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs
--------------------
160: 2
80: 222 2
40: 332 140
20: 375 88
15: 42 27
10: 2
6:
2:
--------------------
Total: 1004 248 Mults = 125 Total Score = 240,625.0
Club:
Comments:
The above figures are preliminary and could change a little after I have a
chance to check over the logs. The above totals don't quite add up so I'll have
to recalculate my breakdowns. Looks like I missed JUN for the county sweep,
which is the best I've ever done. 59 sections may also be a new record for me.
The above score includes 6,500 points for operating from 13 counties and 1,000
points for 5 contacts with W3FRC.
1,252 QSOs is a new QSO record for my single-op efforts in the PAQP, and I think
it just about ties the multi-multi QSO record that N2AZS and I made some years
back as K8HVT/M. This may have been the first time that I had more contacts on
20 CW than on 40 CW. I think this was also the best 15 meter total I've ever
had.
Conditions were just about ideal. The short skip on 20 really helped. There
seemed to be more PA stations on the high bands this year and, maybe as a
result, more west coast participation. I worked seven California mults, which
must be a new record for me. 40 SSB was really rough on Saturday but it seemed
to be easier to find run frequencies on Sunday so I had a couple of good runs.
Never found the time to hit 75 SSB (except for 2 contacts with WA3RA/M) or 160
CW. This event is like a 22-hour Sprint. You always need to be about four
places at the same time.
I had 171 contacts from Wayne County, a new record for a single county for me.
I had a really nice high loction and rates held up. Also, many stations said I
was their first WAY, so I stayed put for a while.
I had very few mobile contacts this year. Only about two contacts each with
K8MR, W3DYA and K4UK. Managed 12 contacts with my rival WA3RA, as we found
ourselves at the same truck stop in NUM and went through the bands from two
counties. We also managed a short eyeball and a couple of pictures. I thought
my vehicle was crazy looking, but Bill has got me beat by a mile!
Sunday afternoon about three hours before the end my rig started acting up.
First the dial froze at 14033.9 and neither the dial nor the band switch was
responding. I thought it was all over for the weekend. After a few minutes
that problem disappeared but then I started to smell smoke from the rig. I
think the internal fan hasn't been working right and the rig was probably
running too hot. Fortunately the wx was cool this year, and opening the car
door seemed to help. It also seemed to help to have the car engine running. I
have two batteries in parallel and usually power is not a problem, but I tried
to drive as little as possible this year, so it is possible that too low voltage
was the problem. The rig is a Yaesu FT757GXII, bought in about 1986 and used
exclusively for mobile QSO parties. Maybe it's had one too many. I hope it
lasts through the ILQP next weekend. Then I'll think about replacing it.
The old '86 Chevy wagon made it through another PAQP. I selected my route to
minimize driving and I put 229 only miles on the car on Saturday but got through
Sunday with only an additional 65 miles. I doubt if the old gal has another
contest in her, but I've been saying that for five years, so we'll see.
The PA scenery is one of the nicest things about this event. The foilage was
not quite at its peak, but it was still just beautiful, especially in the NE
counties.
Thanks to NARC for sponsoring this great event and to all of you for all the
contacts. See you from IL next weekend.
73, Hal W1NN
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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