North American QSO Party, SSB
Call: NC4KW
Operator(s): KA1ARB, NT4D, W4KAZ, N1YXU, N1LN
Station: N1LN
Class: M/2 LP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 12
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 42 20
80: 158 35
40: 643 55
20: 327 49
15: 10 7
10: 0 0
-------------------
Total: 1180 166 Total Score = 195,880
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Team:
Comments:
Having just returned from a Caribbean cruise, Friday night at 22:00 EDT, what
would my wife (Laurie â?? N1YXU) and I want to immediately do the next day?
Well, host our first Multi-Two contest of course. When Saturday morning
arrived we were off on our respective missions. My job was to make sure the
station, software, and antennas were ready. She went off to the store for
food and drinks for the team. By 11:00 am EDT we were ready.
This contest provided the first opportunity for a multi-op shake down of our
new station since it is now almost completed. Only one more beverage to go.
The past 16 months of hard work were now to be tested in a Multi-two operation.
What could possibly go wrong? New antenna farm, new K3s, new team of Ops,
new station computers? Well, potentially everything, but in actuality,
nothing. Based on the comments of the operators, all of whom were a major
part of the volunteer build team, the past 16 month build was worth it. At
18:00 UTC we were anxious and ready to go, but too bad the band conditions were
not. With virtually no 15 and no 10 we had to start on 20 meters and 40
meters. Not exactly our plan and, I would assume, not the plan of many of the
other competitors. Fortunately, the activity on 40 did start much earlier
than expected so both operating positions were active.
Along with the poor solar activity providing the lack of 15 and 10, we also
enjoyed the always present summer time high QRN levels. Lots of storm
activity across the southern US, our main beam headings being west to west
north west, created the opportunity for everyone to get quickly used to
operating the K3s. For four of the five of us it was the first time to use
them. Comments were all very positive. Excellent job Elecraft. Only
negative comment was that everyone thought the audio in the right ear was lower
than the audio in the left ear, on both radios. Not a significant difference,
but noticeable.
Later in the afternoon, about 20:00 UTC, 15 did sound like it might just open.
I was hoping for an opening similar to the one enjoyed during NAQP-CW. Thanks
to NX5M, K5TR, W5KFT, NR5M, and KL7RA for the Qs, but it was not to last. As
our stats indicate, they represented 5 of our total 10 Qs on 15. The others
were not to come until VERY late in the day, actually 01:32 UTC, when Keith
(W4KAZ) made a 15 meter s/p pass and was able to collect 5 more Qs and 5 more
mults. The stop was worth the 10 minutes he had to stay there.
We set a goal of 1200 Qs but fell a few short with a raw count of 1180. The
score could have used a few more mults factored in, but without 10 and 15 and
the VERY heavy QRN on 160 it was not to happen for us. We did have a fun
afternoon and evening, and before the evening ended the conversations about the
next time began. We are looking at CQWW-DX (both SSB and CW) as our next M2
activities from NC4KW.
Thanks to all for the Qs and a special congrats to Bob and the NX5M M2 team.
GREAT JOB!
73 for now,
Bruce â?? N1LN
(aka: NC4KW, Pat)
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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