North American QSO Party, CW
Call: KA3DRR
Operator(s): KA3DRR
Station: KA3DRR
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: CA
Operating Time (hrs): 9.0
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 0 0
80: 5 2
40: 26 18
20: 24 18
15: 0 0
10: 0 0
-------------------
Total: 55 38 Total Score = 2,090
Club: Northern California Contest Club
Team: NCCC Team 6
Comments:
NAQP START.
I focused on calling CQ for this event and gained an insight into the priority
of antennas. If power is king on the chess table of RadioSport then one's
antenna is the rook, for me in the end game, the rook adds strategic value. And
life on the wire in NAQP CW 2009 presented a new set of strategic challenges eg.
antenna and the effect of winter propagation.
HIGH BANDS.
Twenty meters is a match-up of an antenna systems. One's antenna gain
compensates for the 100-watt rule and creates a fun operating challenge for
wire driven operators like myself. My learning benefit is timing and
persistence. Propagation is another great teacher. Local conditions such as QRN
resulting from storm activity and absorption is another factor to consider. The
number of variables acting on one's signal is really amazing.
My overall production on 20m resulted from search and pounce. I have learned,
if more than one Level-1 station sends a question mark then, conditions are not
necessarily ideal for calling CQ, for a Level-4 sub-optimal antenna system
running low-power within suburban geography. My strategy shifted to search and
pounce.
Fifteen meters, on the other hand, did not produce any Qs perhaps as a result
of propagation even with sunspot number 1010 on the face of Helios. Both A and
K-index suggested a decent opportunity, if, 15m opened sometime in the
afternoon. I alternated between 15 and 20m on the half-hour. And winter
propagation closed 20m an hour before sunset.
LOW BANDS.
The effect of winter played a significant role with bands going long earlier.
Optimal antenna systems on the low bands really make a difference although my
doublet plays on 40 meters. I missed my short skip advantage into San
Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego on both bands at this time of year.
CONCLUSION.
My three band vertical project is back on the drawing board. We are going to
build a harness for ease of deployment without provoking the home owners
association. I'm building an RFI ground at my operating position next weekend
and taking rudimentary steps toward that solution.
One knows when RadioSport is a passion. I enjoyed myself throughout NAQP CW
2009 with 24 states in the log across three bands, working KP2M on 40m,
fumbling at the keyboard a few times, and logging a few Qs after calling CQ.
73
Scot, KA3DRR
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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