[3830] Stew Perry K1TO SO LP

[k1to at aol.com]

                     Stew Perry Topband Challenge
                    
Call: K1TO
Operator(s): 
Station: 

Class: SO LP
Grid Square: EL87
Operating Time (hrs): 6
 

QSOs:  128  Score: 1,214

Club: FLORIDA CONTEST GROUP

Comments:

FT-1000MP running 100W to an Inverted L (described in detail later)

When W4SAA posted a note to the FCG about driving down to the Keys and erecting 
a balloon vertical just to get on for the SP, I had to take the 1/2 hour to 
solder the "extension" coax to my now direct-fed inv-L and be able to spend 
some time on the air.

But after that, neither version of NA on the home PC would load completely.  I 
spent nearly 2 hours getting the laptop integrated into the station and once 
again rearranging the station layout b4 getting on the air.  In the meantime, I 
heard FCGers KN4Y, N4AO, N2NL, K4LDR, N8PR, W4FMS and W4SAA.  Managed to catch 
up with all but Dave (NL), and I even heard K1PT calling guys later after 
wrestling his station back from Dave, but I did not call CQ successfully often 
enough for him to find me.  

In fact, I worked almost 100 stations before ANYONE answered my low power CQ.  
This inverted L performed OK at times, such as to Eu and to the Western US, and 
awful at other times, mainly to W8/9 (a bad area to be awful into!).  Most 
everyone needed at least one repeat of my grid early on and I bet I sent EL87 
500 times to make 128 QSOs.

DX worked here, in order of Stew points awarded:  36-OM3TZQ+HA5JI, 34-UA2FF, 
32-SM6MCW+KH6ND, 30-G4BWP+KH7A, 28-G0IVZ and 12-FM5BH.  Had a bunch of 16-18 
pointers on the West Coast, with N6RO the first to hear me.  I had been moments 
away from pulling the plug when I worked UA2FF (see note below, too) and I'm 
glad I played for 3 more hours after that to get those other Europeans.

Pulled several bonehead moves.  Had called KV4FZ for a while with no luck, 
before he QRTed.  Much later, I heard GW3YDX signing his call, so I jumped in 
with my callsign.  Herbie came back to me with a report because it was actually 
his frequency and YDX was calling him, but I ignored him, thinking we had 
already worked.  He gave me several chances with "?"s, but I was silent!

Another more fundamental boner was not using the MP's built-in tuner.  My 
inverted L tunes differently over a pretty narrow portion of the band and using 
the tuner made many stations suddenly magically workable.  I've been so used to 
the amp performing that function in the past that it did not occur to me until 
after several hours!

Also heard, but not worked: EA8/OH2BYS, PY2FUS, DL7ON, DK2OY, G3KMA, LY2TA, 
KH6AT (those are the ones I have notes on).  Went to bed after Europe mostly 
died at 0815Z or so.

Having 3 terminated Beverages available - 570' to Eu, 330' N and 330' WNW was 
FB.  It was obvious that I could hear almost anything, and that the problem is 
on xmit.
So, I have a project on the list to "de-elevate" the inverted L.  Currently, it 
is elevated about 10' at the base with 4 elevated quarter-wave radials.  Only 
45' or so is vertical, then the rest (90' or so) is nearly horizontal.  I have 
seen various theories about whether the direction of the horiz. piece matters 
or not.  Based on the relative deafness of the W8/9s, I'm thinking that there 
is some directivity to this antenna.  Another explanation is that the Midwest 
is more likely to be listening on antennas favoring the populous east and west 
directions than they are to be listening to the south.  Plus, I have a 
directional Beverage here that peaks them up.  Anyway, my theory is that 
lowering the L to the ground gets 10 more feet vertical and there is then an 
opportunity to substantially beef up the radial system without the hassle of 
keeping them elevated.  

Excerpts from my .NOT file to gain further insight into my over-documented 6 
hours of operation:
11 00:34z this ant SUCKS
34 01:21z N5RZ - GREAT EARS AWARD again this year
84 04:16z n8pr wkd iv3prk - audible - NEVER WORKED PRK
85 04:23z kh7a q5 called na2aa - WORKED EASILY LATER
94 04:51z k7nu = first answer of contest!!
96 05:02z UA2FF all alone - vy loud! - one call - amazing
97 05:08z dk2oy all alone at 32.5 but na
103 05:39z kh6nd got my call but not grid - GOT IT LATER
103 05:44z py2fus q5 calling n7dd (NEVER HEARD HIM AGAIN)
104 05:52z n8pr easily works HA5JI - not a peep when I call
           (DID MANAGE TO WORK HIM WHEN HE PEAKED LATER)
120 07:15z ea8/oh2bys q5 (QRTed before peaking)
124 07:40z k9mms and k9wju CQ in my face still - amazing
126 07:49z w7qc and w7rm cq in face, but Eu hears me great!
126 07:54z beaten out to n6ll by kl7ra - inaudible here



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