N4BP NAQP CW

[Bob Patten]

Call used: N4BP						Location: FL
Category: Single Op All Band		Mode: CW	Power: 100W
Callsign of Operator: N4BP

Exchanged Information: N4BP BOB FL
Hours of Operation: 10

band	QSOs	points	mults
====	====	======	=====
 160	  16	    16	   12
  80	 183	   183	   44
  40	 246	   246	   52
  20	 238	   238	   48
  15	 145	   145	   37
  10	  68	    68	   21
====	====	======	=====
TOTAL	 896	   896	  214		SCORE: 191,744

Club or Team Name: Florida Contest Group (FCG #1)

Station:	FT-1000MP
		TH7-DXX @ 45 feet
		40M inverted vee @ 35 feet
		80M dipole @ 40 feet (also used on 160M)
		NA v10.13

Comments:	I like this contest!  This is one of the few I can 
actually compete in with my low antennas.  Also, luck was with me as it 
was last January.  I had incredible line noise up to the day of the NAQP, 
but come contest time, it subsided completely and didn't return until 
Sunday morning - back to S9 on 40 & 80.  My antenna work around SS time 
also paid off.  My trapped 40/80 doublett bit the dust - traps shorted - 
so I strung seperate full length 40 & 80M dipoles.  Actually the 80M was 
made by chopping up my 160M dipole with insulators.  Anyway, both did a 
fantastic job and I was even able to tickle the 80M dipole a little on 
160M to pick up a few mults.  Just prior to the NAQP, I built a new 
current balun for the TH7 using a PVC sewer pipe form.  Hard to say if it 
improved performance or not, I'll find out in the next QRO contest where 
I do have problems with RF in the shack.  It definitely had an affect as 
the SWR changed on 10/15/20.
It was great to see 10M open.  I probably could have picked up a few more 
mults there had I stuck it out, but rate would have dropped 
dramatically.  I felt that I played the bands to the best advantage..
Great conditions, no noise, finally a healthy and confident operator 
(been sick since mid-November), no equipment problems.  What more could 
one ask for in a contest?

Bob Patten, N4BP
Plantation, FL
n4bp at shadow.net


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