Minnesota QSO Party
Call: N0IJ
Operator(s): N0IJ
Station: N0IJ
Class: Mobile Single Xmtr LP
QTH: MN
Operating Time (hrs): 10
Summary:
Band CW-RTTY Qs Ph Qs
-------------------------
160:
80: 15
40: 487
20: 421
15:
10:
-------------------------
Total: 923 0 Mults = 61 Total Score = 112,606
Club: Minnesota Wireless Assn
Comments:
First off, a big thanks to Brian, NX0X, for a great job driving me around
on a very challenging 24 county course through much of northern MN
(excluding the far north border counties). We were actually within 2-4
minutes in each county of the projected time. We gained a bit at the end
giving me 19
minutes in Cook instead of projected 11. Weather was not a factor UNTIL
we got to the north shore. All day we enjoyed sunny skies and temp in the
30's, but the final 2 counties, Lake and Cook, had other plans for us. Once
we reached Castle Danger, the snow came enough so that the plows were out.
We made it to the Cook county border in time to make 40 QSO with the
deserving. The log shows two five minute qso gaps for the contest--525 miles.
Total miles for the day was 725.
As Brian suggested, I consider the conditions in the North about as hard
going as I have ever had. At times it was great,but a lot of time, there was
just weak signals that I couldn't pick a call out of. I now think that
often, one was Bill, HC1WDT or Laci, OM2VL just below critical mass for me.
The toughest time was between 10-2pm local time. At times I would scan 40
and not hear any signals at all. Looking back, I should have keyed more
on 20, maybe, but often it sounded pretty dead, as well. The strange part
was that out of a totally dead sounding band, either one, suddenly K9NW,
N8II, or W0BV would come crashing in. Then, a bit later, K9NW would be just
above the noise. I feared antenna problems, but the SWR never changed from
almost flat on all bands with the screwdriver. Then, as we made our way
east and a bit south, things improved dramatically, and we made up a lot in
the last 4 hours.
I caused myself some grief in Norman and Clay when I must have bumped the
"shape" knob and caused a kind of roar which I couldn't figure out in
the
heat of battle. We passed someone while we were going south and they were
going north in NOR. I figured it must be Doug, but he said he wasn't going
into Norman?? Anyone else go up there?
Thankfully, we ran over NO skunks, like Mark, MHJ, did! Laughed out loud
when I read that.
Mults came hard, and if I hadn't run down 4 mobile counties near the end,
it would have been worse. Only heard and worked 3 VE's--3,5,& 7. No AZ,
NM, LA, OK, OR, ND, ME, SD???
Always fun to work OM2VL (3 times on 20, once on 40) and Bill, HC1WDT 3
times near the end plus a couple of Germans.
QSO leaders were: K9NW with an amazing 45, W0BV, 32, N2CU, NU0Q and AF9T
with 26, plus the following with over 15: VE3KZ, W0AIH, NT2A, N2WN,
N0AT,N0UY, WA6KHK, W7GKF, K0FVF, W0PI. Thanks, guys!!
I realized that we travel 106 miles (round trip) to get to one county--Cook
for the usual 15-20 minutes. Not sure if anyone else was on from Cook, and
that what keeps me going back. It is important to give folks the chance
to make all 87--especially near the end on cw!
Still a ton of fun--even at 73-3/4.
73
John, N0IJ
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