7th Call Area QSO Party
Call: K7EAR
Operator(s): K7COR, K7LON, W7OPS, KD7EDQ, AB1CH, NI5L, WD5COV, N7XEU, N7CSJ,
KD7LEJ, KD7LEK, KB7CSE, AA7NW, N3KCJ, KY7K, N2IC, WA5Y, W5CF, N7AM, N5BG, N5IA
Station: K7EAR
Class: Cnty Exped M/M LP
QTH: AZGHM/GLE
Operating Time (hrs): 18
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs Dig Qs
----------------------------
160:
80: 260 80
40: 614 466
20: 1130 1052 136
15: 300 228
10:
6:
2:
----------------------------
Total: 2304 1826 136 Mults = 68 Total Score = 636,144
Club: Arizona Outlaws Contest Club
Comments:
There is only one thing to say that sums up this year's edition of the K7EAR
participation in the 7QP. That is WIND, WIND, WIND, and more WIND.
This is our spring windy season, BUT why does it all have to come on the 7QP
weekend. Thursday was setup day, and the peak BREEZES were in the 60 MPH
range. With mid-day air temps in the 50's, the wind chill factor made the air
feel like it was the low 40's. It was not the most enjoyable antenna
construction weather.
Normally we get one or two windy days in a row, but this year it kept it up for
4 days. Some of the ops got into a snow storm in the high country going home
Sunday afternoon.
Enough of that. The last of the antennas were erected after the contest had
started on Saturday morning. From that point in time, everything went pretty
much according to plans and schedule.
A total of six new operators joined with the EAARS faithful this year. Some
were hired guns; others were 1st time contest ops. Everyone had a good time in
spite of less than optimum propagation. There were a LOT of unanswered CQs. It
was impressed on the newbies that poor prop and slack time is just part of the
game. If it is poor/bad for you, most likely it is exactly the same for
everyone else. So, just stay in the chair and keep on calling.
New for this year in the antenna arsenal were three separate full sized
4-Squares. One of them was for use on the digital station which we relegated
to 20 Meter operation only. The directionality and vertical polarization of
the 4-Square kept peace on the twenty meter band with the SSB and CW stations.
The other two 4-Squares were constructed for 40 Meters. These antennas proved
to be a hit with the 7 MHz ops. Instant direction switching between NE and NW
was very useful. The CW station also had the traditional double extended Zepp
antenna we have used for many years. It was put up at 60 feet on the apex, and
compared to the 4-Square by the ops. The reports I received were that the DE
Zepp (no slouch of an antenna) never outperformed the 4-Square and in most
cases the verticals were better than the DE Zepp.
All antennas and radios performed without any gliches. UPS's were used at all
stations this year. Genset coughs and refueling did not interrupt any
operation. SWEET!!!!!
Despite the windy setup conditions and not being ready to fully go at the bell,
accommodating training and operation of the new operators, and the less that
stellar propagation conditions, the overall number of contacts were up a bit
from last year. The CW ops logged 10 more than last year. The CW ops
increased their tally by 66. And the determined digital duo of Steve and Dave
nearly doubled their 2009 total. They had 78 last year; 136 this year.
The good note on propagation was that 15 Meters produced more Q's than last
year. This will be a fantastic contest on the upper bands once we get some
spots.
Mults were down by 2, so the overall score is down from last year. Here
follows some of the statistics.
We missed only La Paz and Gila counties for the AZ county sweep. We missed
KLA, LCN and MAL for the Oregon sweep. We worked 141 of the 259 counties in
the 7th district.
The SSB ops managed WAS. The CW ops missed only SD to make WAS.
We worked 19 DXCC entities in Europe, and 33 total outside of K and VE. We
worked 7 of the VE Provinces missing the elusive Northern and Maritime
Provinces.
Thanks for all the contacts with the stations operating in the 7QP, the InQP,
the NEQP, and the MARAC. The multiple contest weekend makes a great contest
even better with all the activity.
Plans are already being made to improve upon the areas where we left points on
the table. We'll be there next year.
And, oh yeah. Does anyone know if calling 1-800-BIG-WIND and putting in a
request this soon will help with the scheduling for the next 1st weekend in
May?
73 de Milt, N5IA, EAARS 7QP Chairman
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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