North American QSO Party, CW
Call: KU5B
Operator(s): KU5B
Station: NX5M
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Somerville, TX
Operating Time (hrs): 10
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 47 22
80: 83 31
40: 271 46
20: 362 47
15: 38 19
10: 3 3
-------------------
Total: 804 168 Total Score = 135,072
Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club
Team: Austin Powers Kinksters
Comments:
First off, many thanks to Bob and family for their wonderful hospitality. Even
for a "punk" (as k5nz says) teenager, they're great hosts.
I arrived around 7pm Friday evening to get the rundown on the station set-up
and logging. We've been having lock-up problems on the 20m station since WPX CW
this year and we were determined to get it resolved that night. Bob and family
were leaving for the Austin Summerfest Saturday morning so I was on my own
until 3pm so we needed to make sure that the lock-up didn't happen.
We'd decided a few days earlier that we would try to give this problem at test
during the NAQP practice that evening (thanks NCCC!). Bob would run on the 40m
and I on the 20m station to try to simulate the setting we have had during WPX
CW and IARU. I worked a couple of stations and then entered a dupe into the log
to test things out. As it happened Bob was working a station on 40m at the same
instant I "worked" the dupe and sure enough, the computer locked up. We then
tried numerous other tests to make sure it wasn't the COM port. He's got a
computer sitting for the 5th station that doesn't have a radio hooked up (used
for M/M) that we knew worked just as well as the one we had already. So, we
decided to switch them out. Ran the tests again, and try as we may, could never
get the computer to lock up. We were convinced it was the computer, so that
problem was fixed.
Got up in time for the contest (not too early, its a Saturday, remember?) and
ran to Dairy Queen for lunch. As always happens, a train blocked my way onto
his road right as I was approaching it. These trains don't usually just pass
through; they stop and couple more cars onto them usually taking around 20
minutes total. I arrived at the station about 5 minutes before and starting
running on 20m. Rates were fairly good throughout the first few hours on 15 and
20. I only went to 10 twice while moving a VE3.
Bob arrived back around 3pm and I decided to take my first off time. Rates
weren't great. He stepped into the shack pretty soon after coming home and got
on 40 to work some stations using NX5M. To both of our dismay, nobody could
hear us! We called 3 different stations that were +20dB and they simply
continued CQing. Frantically, we tried to diagnose the problem as quickly as
possible. Power was getting out (we heard it on another radio on the same
freq.) and the SWR was great. Bob got on 40 SSB and called W9IMS. He heard us!
We then went back to CW and without problem he worked a station. This had us
confused. We later thought maybe the radio got confused as to which mode it was
in. Still a mystery.
The rest of the contest went as planned. Concentrated on going between 40 and
80 and running 160 at the top of the hour. I later found out that I missed a
10m opening around 0200Z. Didn't even think of that possibility when we
switched the station over to 160m.
I decided to try SO2R about 6 hours into the contest as I had built an audio
switchbox the week prior to the contest. Unfortunately, I failed to put
shielded wire so when all 4 stations were connected, I must have been creating
a ground loop as I heard a very loud hum. So much for that idea. SO2R with
radios spread out over a 24ft room is OK, but a lot of quick running between
stations is required. I decided this wasn't for me...just yet. NX5M's station
isn't set-up for SO2R by any means as 90% of the contests operated there are
either M/2 or M/M.
Thanks to everyone for the q's and all the fun. I think this is the first time
I've ever gotten to operate 160 seriously at NX5M and I had more fun than even
on 40m.
Great job to the rest of the Austin Power guys and a big thanks to N3BB for
putting the teams together and helping me in the NCCC Sprints.
Look for NX5M in the SSB portion as we defend our title from August 2005 in the
M/2 category. The last hurrah before leaving for college.
Off times:
2036-2106
0005-0041
0425-0455
0513-0543
73 es gl,
Colin (Bob) KU5B
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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