Texas QSO Party
Call: NO5W
Operator(s): NO5W
Station: NO5W
Class: SO CW Mobile LP
QTH: TX
Operating Time (hrs): 18
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs Dig Qs
----------------------------
160:
80:
40:
20: 745
15: 248
10:
6:
2:
UHF:
----------------------------
Total: 993 0 0 Mults = 76 Total Score = 259,404
Club: NARS
Comments:
The above score includes a 33000 point bonus for activating 33 counties.
Equipment:
Radio: IC-7000
Antenna: HI-Q 4/80
Vehicle: 2002 Pathfinder
Power Supply: 79 AHr AGM battery by MK Battery
Battery Charging: Power Gate 40S by West Mountain Radio (W1ZR configuration)
USB Hub: Navigator by US Interface
Serial Keyer: WinKey by K1EL - contained in USB Hub
GPS: Garmin 18PC-DLX
Mapping Software: Streets & Trips
Logging Software: CQ/X de NO5W version 1.7.5
Decompression is about over, time to file a 3830 report.
Coordinating a QSO party is not a whole lot different from hosting a party at
your place. If you're like me, with a good bit of "the Knack for all things
mechanical and electrical" balanced with a significant amount of social
ineptitude coordinating these events can be a bit stressful. Things that keep a
coordinator up at night:
1. Will enough mobile ops take to the road to help fill in the counties and
keep things interesting for the visitors?
2. Will enough visitors show up to make it worthwhile for the in state ops?
3. Will the weather cooperate?
4. Will radio conditions allow for decent conversations between the guests?
5. Will other parties draw potential guests away?
6. Will enough door prize sponsors come forward to supply the coveted wall
decorations.
With the status of gas prices, the recent pounding from Hurricane Ike
experienced by the southeastern part of the state, and the hide and seek nature
of the sun spots, I had some concern about each of the above. So when Jamie-NS3T
asked for my Texas QSO Party input for his Radio Sport site I cautiously
indicated I'd be happy if we were able to activate at least 220 of the 254
counties. I actually thought that was an optimistic estimate but in the days
leading up to the party that estimate was proven to be overly cautious as
mobiles checked in with their plans and in many cases flexed those plans to
reduce duplication and allow more counties to be covered with a somewhat
smaller mobile group than we had in 2007. The pre-event RSVPs indicated we'd
activate 243 counties. Reviewing the early logs I notice at least three
additional counties showed up so although we probably didn't reach our goal of
254 we came mighty close with around 246. Many thanks to the following mobiles
who announced plans prior to the event: K5NA, N5NA, KB5U, KU5B, KE5MS, WW5X,
W0BH, K5UN, W3DYA, K5MRA, KK5LO, WB0TEV, W5ETJ, N5UV, KB6OJE, N3BB, and K5SF.
And I shouldn't forget to mention W5ESE who hoofed it up into the Guadalupe
Mountains for a little backpacking trip to activate Culberson County.
Regarding the out of state visitors my log contains a lot of the usual QSO
party stations but also some calls I've not seen before. Hopefully those new
folks enjoyed it and will return to do future TxQPs and to participate in other
contests.
For my own efforts I did a little better in total score this year than in the
past. Although the Q count was down (993 vs 1042) I had more mults than in the
past (76 vs 70). The mult increase is due partly to WW5X who I found on a four
corner spot during one of my S&P outings. Bill gave me four in rapid
succession. It felt like I was in the WAE with its QTC future as he would send
each of his four exchanges and I would counter with my single each time -- that
was fun and I'm sure many others had a chance to enjoy simiar experience with
WW5X and the other panhandle operators W0BH, K5UN.
As you can see 20 was the money band with 40 a somewhat distant second. It was
fun, and hopefully an indicator of good things to come, to work DL3DXX and
LY2ZZ throughout the party on 20M. Conditions on 40M CW were pretty much
impossible on Saturday with wall to wall RTTY but a little better on Sunday. My
apologies if you called me and received a CQ instead of a QSO. Weak signals were
totally wiped out by noise on 40M CW. Several times when things got slow I tried
15M but each time to no avail even though the band seemed to be open. I hope
that when (if?) conditions improve on 15 and 10 we'll again see QSO party
operation on those bands. I had plans to operate 80M on Saturday evening but
Murphy, along with some senioritis, stepped in and hid the extension rod that I
need to attach the cap hat to the mobile antenna to work 80M. From reports it
sounds like I missed a good time on 80M.
Thanks to the following frequent callers who contributed more than half of my
QSOs: N6MU(30), W9IU(28), W0EAR(26), W7GVE(25), N4PN(25), N1LN(24), WA3HAE(24),
K8MFO(23), KB9OWD(20), N3RJ(19), K3TW(19), KO1U(19), W4PM(19), W1DWA(18),
W2LHL(16), DL3DXX(15), VE3KP(14), K8QWY(14), K8CW(14), LY2ZZ(14), N3UM(13),
N4OX(12), NG8U(11), N8SS(11), N4CD(11), W9LHG(10), W2CVW(10), K7BG(10),
N3KR(10),
W3CP(10).
Finally thanks to my wife and driver for putting up with this madness for
another 800 miles -- it must be close to 10K by now. I only saw you with your
head on the steering wheel twice. Fortunately both of those were during stops
along the side of the road to work down the piles.
73 es hope to see you in the next one,
Chuck/NO5W
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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