7th Call Area QSO Party - 2022
Call: N7WA
Operator(s): N7WA
Station: N7WA
Class: SO MobileCW LP
QTH: EWA
Operating Time (hrs): 6
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs Dig Qs
----------------------------
160: 0 0 0
80: 12 0 0
40: 184 0 0
20: 441 0 0
15: 0 0 0
10: 0 0 0
6: 0 0 0
2: 0 0 0
----------------------------
Total: 637 0 0 Mults = 57 Total Score = 108,927
Club: Western Washington DX Club
Comments:
I enjoy going out mobile for the 7QP. My EWA route has developed over the years
for efficiency, interesting scenery, and accommodation for possible non-Ham
ride-a-longs.(They want to eat and go home at a reasonable hour for some odd
reason.)
Equipment-wise I swapped out the KX3/KXPA100 combo for a full K3 secured in the
back jump seat this year. Not for any performance reasons but for simplicity and
ease of setup since the KX3 has been out of the truck for the past year and I
just wasn't up to setting up the KX3/KXPA100 combination with it's myriad
cables.
I also reconfigured the antennas as far away from the truck cab as possible.
Both were just in front of the tailgate. I think that was a good decision as I
really had no RFI issues in the cab this trip. Every trip out teaches me
something.
The trip map is here if you are interested.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tze41zXCsvSTZEBgHHZCrvDw17bxnVnD/view?usp=sharing
It starts at the Okanagon/Ferry county line just north of Grand Coulee Dam and
winds through the central desert, the Palouse, and finally along the south side
of EWA. The OKA/FER county line is a very pleasant location and I enjoy the
view. Unfortunately, the effects of last summer’s wildfires were apparent. It
must have been pretty scary for the few houses in the area watching the hills
burn around them. Operationally, the 7QP started off with a bang and I had 80
Q's in the bag before it was time to leave. It became a continuous routine
of traveling about an hour, then contesting for about 50 minutes. It hurts
to stop in the middle for food but that's the price of company.
We had animal encounters as usual. This year, it was cows in the middle of the
road and a ring-necked pheasant (a first!) watching us go by. The weather was
interesting. Usually it's just hot. This year we had rain squalls alternating
with bright sunshine. I would open a window because the sun was beating on the
truck and the next second, there was a hard rain coming through horizontally.
Frequently, the rain was accompanied by pretty nasty rain static. Fortunately,
it was usually short, about 10-15 seconds before dying off. We were on a ridge
in Garfield County watching the power windmills as I operated. We would get
blasted by high winds that just rocked the truck. It's interesting that the
windmills continue rotating at their leisurely rate.
As we got to the end of the route, the day was taking its toll on me and my
passenger. Like last year, I took the last three counties (2 stopping points),
dropped the least interesting one (sorry YAK), and sat on the BEN/KLI line
instead. Even then it was still a 3 hour drive home. I have never been able to
complete the full 18 hours of this test.
One and a half equipment failures. I lost my GPS at the start. Not a big deal,
I know the route but it is useful for the arrival time info and keeping on
schedule. (I don't like the GPS apps on smartphones). Also, the computer I use
for logging is pretty long in the tooth. The display has been coming apart for
years. At the last two stops, the one hinge simply came off. I was worried about
a cable getting damaged and losing my display. Time to find a new mobile
computer.
I worked way more DX than expected. I think I limited out my DX mults. Japan to
Europe and more variety in Europe than usual. Go cycle 25! It amazes me that
people can hear my 100 watts into a short inefficient vertical. Looking at the
7QP reporting, it looks like I should have tried 15M. It was my intent to do so
but I was kept pretty busy with 40M/20M. Next year, it might be time for a
dedicated 15M whip. Over the years, I have moved away from adjustable antennas
to fixed ones.
The mobile window seemed decent this year. The past couple, it's been wall to
wall with fixed stations calling CQ. I rarely had to move this year. Thank you
if that was part of your operational plan.
In the final accounting, my ON time was only 5 hours 43 minutes. Someone needs
to invent the transporter. Even then, I had my fun. Hope you did too. See you
next year!
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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