Kentucky QSO Party
Call: K5YAA/M
Operator(s): K5YAA
Station: K5YAA/M
Class: RoverMixed HP
QTH: 12 Counties
Operating Time (hrs): 11.5
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs Dig Qs
----------------------------
160: 0 0 0
80: 35 5 0
40: 233 3 0
20: 298 122 0
15: 149 56 0
10: 75 14 0
6: 0 0 0
----------------------------
Total: 790 200 0 Mults = 55 Total Score = 97,900
Club: Oklahoma DX Association
Comments:
N1MM has all the stats correct and sent Rover QTH / CountyLine abbrevs. just
fine during the party. On a Cabrillo cut, all County Abbreviations came out as
ROVERQTH - bummer.... Has to be a hiccup with the KY Party code because all
other parties I have run in generated perfect Cabrillos. Fortunately using
times etc. editing can be done to correct the entry. John, K4FT emailed me
asking if I had the problem. At the time I told him - it has been perfect in 8
QSO Parties this year so must be something he was doing and I told him I would
check it when I got home. During a gas fillup in Cross County Arkansas I lit
up the laptop and cut a Cabrillo for the Kentucky Party log. Happened to me
too as I said above. We will get over it but I need to inquire of the writers
of N1MM about the problem or maybe someone out there hs a suggestion for us.
Had a good run in the KYQP. Kentucky is a beautiful state. Rolling hills and
well manicured farms and ranches. Lots of horse ranches around Frankfort and
Lexington. Wooden and rock fences run for miles. The countryside is much like
Missouri and Arkansas. Pretty good roads even in the hollers of the eastern
counties. It is hunting season in Kentucky I think because I saw quite a few
pickups sitting off the road in the trees. Also counted well over two dozen
deer killed on the roads especially along I64 headed west. Had to be a dozen
in the middle of the interstate that had been hit. I figure they had strayed
from the woods what with all the bullets flying. Sad to see those big animals
lying along the roads. Fortunately I had no encounters with deer or even
smaller game on the roads I traveled. I sure kept an eye out though.
Murphy wanted to spoil my fun and put some water in my gas I use for the
generator. Not knowing that was what it was, and thinking I had simply wore
out my two generators, I bought a new one at Wright Implement in Glascow, KY
early morning on Friday. Put it on the trailer - fired it up and it was
hummin. Back in business so I thought. Put some of my gas in it to fill it up
and the new one quit after about 3 minutes of running. Something ain't quite
right here. Wright put a tech on it right away. They determined it was water
in the gas - emptied out the old and put more in. Runs good again. I had them
empty both of my gas containers. Later got me some Marathon gas and the problem
stayed solved for Friday and most of the QSO Party. The new one quit one time on
the Fulton Hickman county line where I ran a puny 100 watts. My lowest total Qs
for the day - figures. A bit later in Carlisle County I pulled the starter
string and up it came. It ran fine the rest of the evening and even on Sunday
all day in Missouri and Arkansas. I like running with higher power - it has to
help DX hear me better - so good to have one more idea of what happens when the
generator quits!
Without generator power my laptop doesn't get charged. Another Murphy thing. A
ways back I used to charge the laptop using a DC charger plugged ino the
accessory jack on the van. Strangely I started having 20 amp mini fuses blow
for seemingly no reason. After quite a few changes of the fuse I quit charging
the laptop that way and got out my AC charger for it. The fuse problem went
away. I had the van serviced and they discovered a bad battery cable.
Replaced it and some other electrical component. This might have fixed the
fuse blowing so I thought. Since I had no AC I plugged the laptop back into
the 12 VDC jack to charge it. Worth a try anyway. The fuse blew in a few
miles. Changed it nd it blew again immediately. Almost drained the laptop
battery before I got AC back again. No laptop - no good CW - no logging - Glad
I got the AC back up.
Those were the two main things Murphy tried on me to spoil my running in
Kentucky with the County Hunters and the QSO Party. What with the neat devices
today, including my iPhone, it is amazing what one can do to find their way
around and locate anything needed to stay on the air. The people I dealt with
in Kentucky were real helpful. The Dodge dealer in Glascow gave me a half
dozen mini fuses free of charge. If you get through Glascow some day give
Gillie Hyde your business for me. They made my morning with those fuses after
spending an hour or so getting the generator going again.
Eats were fantastic on my road trip. On the way to Frankfort, KY for a Tuesday
evening stay I saw a sign, going toward Evansville on I64, that said "Amish
Buffet 8 Miles" - I also had visions and was sure I saw "Real Mashed
Potatoes with Cream Gravy". Wasn't really on the sign but I had
experienced an Amish dinner one time that had bowls of good veggies and some of
the best mashed potatoes I had ever eaten. Sure enough my stop was well worth
it. Stroll's Buffet just off the interstate was the place. Rows and rows of
troughs full of stuff to eat. I stuffed myself on mashed potatoes - real ones
with cream gravy - a few small lumps in 'em very tasty! I recommend the place
if you get by Evansville some day.
The other place that was a real joy to eat was Helen's Place in Todd County -
in the middle of now where. I was pushing to get to all tghe counties I had on
my list. Todd county was the last one for Wednesday evening. I had worked hard
for two days in a row to get the KY counties on the air. Should probably have
put Todd on the air before eating at Helen's but was hungry, tired and decided
to take the liberty of a rest. Glad I did - the place was crowded with pick up
trucks and cars - most covered in mud. Went inside and saw dozens of people
sitting and gabbing at long tables. Looked like a family reunion. Everybody
seemed to know each other. Another long line of trays filled with country
goodies to eat. I found out later that Friday nights were Catfish Buffet
nights. I filled two plates. When I went to pay my check - I think it was
Helen herself who said "They are playing music across the street at John
Rays' Place you should go over". Well I was already late on the air for
Todd so I just took a look across the street - saw a sign that said "John
Rays' Place". It was in a large brick building and I heard the music from
across the road. I enjoyed that stop along my travels in Kentucky. Again the
people were very friendly and hospitable. If you are in Todd County on Friday
nights you can't miss Helen's place for sure.
The funniest thing I saw on my trip was in Arkansas Cross County. The sun had
gone down and just in front of me on Hwy 64 was a new pickup truck that for
some reason was scoping out the trees on the left side of the road with a
bright light. I thought he was some kind of government official taking a poll
for deer in the woods. A bit later I blew around him and saw what the deal
was. His pickup had been in a small wreck I guess - the left headlight was
dangling down swaying from side to side as he drove along. Question solved.
The headlight was randomly scoping out the trees on the left side of the road.
990 QSOs in the Kentucky party. Many DX stations on 15 and 10 meters. Band
conditions were quite good. I didn't do any operating while I drove along
this time. Almost more radio than a fellow can stand in the three days ahead
of the party. Worked a few county lines to make up for some of the
difference.
Here are the stations that made my log more than single digit times.
Call - Q Count
N6MU - here he is again with 53 Qs
WA6KHK - 44
N8II - 40
KC3X - 34
KA4RRU - 34
K8QWY - 33
K2DSW - 30
N4CD - 28
W0GXQ - 21
WA1ZIC - 20
NT2A - 20
WA2VYA - 18
K1TKL - 16
DL5ME - 16
DL3GA - 15
N5NA - 15
DK2OY - 14
OE5KE - 13
W0EAR, KQ3F and K5KDG - 11
NU0Q, K7TM, and K4YT - 10
I thank all of you for your efforts to make it in my log. Especially the DX of
which there were the following DL, G, I, OE, OK, ON, YV and ZS. VE1, VE2, VE3
and VE9. Thanks to the Canadians that hollered at me.
That's my report for the Kentucky QSO Party and some of my 6 day trip to
Kentucky, Missouri and Arkansas. The K3 was fun as usual. All my gear worked
quite well considering the complexity of my mobile. Seems there is always a
thing or two I learn on the road that should make me more prepared for the next
travelling I do.
Thanks to the Western Kentucky DX Association for sponsoring the party. I
enjoyed the stay in your fine state and hope to be back some other day when I
can partake of the things your state has to offer.
73 - Jerry K5YAA
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