[3830] CQP report, K6EL, SOLP, long...

[k6el at juno.com]

Call: K6EL                                                               
          County:BUTTE
Mode: CW/SSB                                                             
   Category: Single OP, Low power

MODE                             QSO                         QSO PTS     
            MULTS
CW                                  381                              1143
SSB                                373                                
746
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals:                            754                              1889 
                         57(-AK)        107,673 points
Time on: 13.5 hrs

Equipment Description:
IC-765, <200 watts output, KLM KT34X-A, Cushcraft 402-CD, 80m Delta loop.

Club Affiliation: Shasta DX and Contest Club
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments:


After finishing 2nd last year, LP, I had begun to think that maybe, just
maybe, I could find a 
way to beat AE6Y this year. When he announced that he wouldn't
participate due to travel
plans, I had a moment of glee. Things quickly turned to worms....

Excuses:

My HS class reunion would be the night of the 4th and I HAD to be
there...besides I wanted to be
there! We had scheduled a 6 hour picnic, from 2300z to 0500z..prime time
for low bands! My fault
as I was Chairman...unavoidable...

At the last minute, I had to fly to Edmonton, Alberta on Sunday before
the contest weekend for
a training that couldn't be rescheduled. So much for the antenna work put
off until the last minute!

I was "informed" that we would have house guests for the reunion thingie,
arriving at 2200z on the
4th! Great people, who we never seem to see much...groan...what next?
Onward and upward! groan...

I got home Wed pm late, exhausted. Did the final meeting for the reunion
on Thursday evening and took
Friday off, sorta, with hopes of carving out a strategy for CQP. Our Club
was mounting a major effort to
win and I couldn't let that noble clan down...onward and upward! My
enthusiasm was finally starting to
build!
I found time to study the rate sheets from the past three years, not much
help. I configured CT, checked
it out and looked at the antennas. Ok, here is the plan...WING IT, dive
in and have some fun!

Opened up on 15 ssb. Good runs until the HP guys wiped me
out...rate...rate. Lots of sorties to cw, 20 , check 
10, rate, rate. Seemed pretty sluggish, especially on cw for the first
few hours. Great runs, then it would die. 
Switch modes, good rate, then ZAP, dead again. 15m ssb was pretty good,
but 15m cw was agonizingly slow.
Shut down at 2245z to shower and go to the party.

Back on at around 0545z...some good runs on 80cw but hit the wall around
0700 or so and went for a nap.
Back up at 1115z, on after coffee made. Pretty good activity on 80, then
40 seemed to sustain some good
activity until the day started breaking. 40 seemed pretty active, even
some DX off the side of the beam from
Asia. Checked 20m at first light and it was open, pretty much.  Good
runs, maybe I was "fresh meat" but 
20 seemed strong for so early compared to last year when I heard lots of
guys calling but couldn't get a
thing going there until much later.

20 and 15 were strong all day here. Many, many Europeans and especially
Asians called me on both
bands all day. My last Qso was on 15 ssb, with JJ7PMS/Mobile at
2200Z...off the SIDE of my XA and he was S7!
The most FUN was the last hour on ssb where the rate meter hit 180! For a
died in the wool
cw op, I was pretty impressed! 
I agree with N6NT's comments  about phone BS...I had a great run going on
20, up around 14.265
or so when someone came on with recording of a distorted Italian station
and wiped me and many
others right off the band. I hate phone,but it is necessary to keep the
rate going...sure is UGLY
to deal with though, especially running low power !

No Q's on 10. Heard N6O calling and calling around 28.450 with no takers.
I called CQ several times
on both CW and SSB but never heard a reply. Maybe too far north...the
line is very fickle as to who
has a band opening and who doesn't up this way. I heard ONE Alaska
station while tuning on 20
working someone but couldn't get his attention.  Not enough time and not
enough Q's...

CQP is a complete GAS to operate! All the guys/gals across NA who hunt us
here in 6 land every year
make it a  joy to compete in. Thanks to you all and the DX too for a
great weekend!

73 de Jon...K6EL
K6EL at JUNO.COM

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