North American QSO Party, CW - January
Call: N8II
Operator(s): N8II
Station: N8II
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: WV
Operating Time (hrs): 9:30
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 137 37
80: 244 48
40: 291 43
20: 269 47
15: 120 41
10: 114 32
-------------------
Total: 1175 248 Total Score = 291,400
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Team:
Comments:
The weather outside was frightful (just cloudy, windy and cold), but the bands
were so delightful! What a difference from a year ago when the SFI was near 100,
was 242? Saturday! It was a frenzy of activity and others chasing spots. I
almost never switched bands and called CQ more than twice without the
"assisted mob" descending. This has its minuses especially when most
in the pile up call exactly zero beat. I think my old FT-1000 was a bit better
at dealing with that than the FTDX101D for some reason. The top ten is now
totally occupied by ops using 2BSIQ. I asked one of the top 2BSIQ dawgs in a
rare state for a 10M QSY and was ignored, found him up there shortly after on my
own. I had terrible luck finding some of the others like N2IC and 8P5A (never
worked Tom, but I'm the first to admit I should have S&P'ed more, especially
in the 2nd and 3rd hours. My average rate was 124 Q's per hour, not bad for one
radio and very tempting to just keep running, hence the somewhat poor mult
total. I was off from 0235Z-0311Z and still managed 110 Q's in 02Z hour and 130
in 03Z. Best hours were 155 at 00Z (all 40M run) and 139 in 01Z (40 until QSY at
0149Z to 80). The activity was great! The short skip (no skip zone at all at 00Z
on 40) made for some fantastic runs not otherwise possible for my humble
dipole.
Considering that, 10M was a bit disappointing with signals from many areas weak
here. The Rocky Mountain states were loudest, TX was in and out (out by 1835Z
the first hour) and as usual for me not much from CA. 15 was much better but it
was very difficult to get any sustained run going. Even on 10, many stations
were workable on backscatter, 15 was better, and 20 at 21Z was absolutely
amazing with the loudest scatter signals about S9 and direct F2 to New England
and ON! 20 was nearly a desert at 20Z, very low activity. Once stations were
skipping over on 40, they were mostly weak and fluttery from here. 80 was in
great shape with numerous 6's and 7's worked and solid signals from next door in
PA/MD/VA out to the 0's and 5's. 160 was somewhat distance limited with much
lower S/N than 80 (have higher local QRN on 160). VE3GFN who does not have a big
station worked me on all bands.
I quit a bit early to help the XYL get to bed, could have easily come back
though around 0510Z. This was a humbling experience, many great ops and great
conditions leading to some off the charts scores. W2FU always found me quickly
and ND7K broke the million point barrier, incredible efforts! I came reasonably
close to Lar, K7SV who always does well without the WV rarity advantage,
congrats to him as well as N4YDU, N4AF, and others. Speaking of WV, only one Q
with WV on 80 which beats the zero Q's with NF, LB, and NS. Three VE9's worked
all on 80. VY1CO was loud on 15. VE3-7 were well represented. WAS was pretty
easy.
Thanks to all for the calls and QSO's and waiting in line at times. I will
especially miss Fred, K3ZO ever present (did great in the 10M test!) on the
bands.
I got to know Fred on the air in the 70's when he was LU5HFI and he gave me an
ATNO from Thailand, a thrill to work him on 10M a bit later. His local signal
was pretty
huge here from about 70 miles away. There was a big "Fred" send off
presence as well as for Rod, W7OM; both passed suddenly. In the phone NAQP I
will be "Fred".
73, Jeff
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