[3830] TxQP NO5W SO Mobile LP

[no5w at txucom.net]

                    Texas QSO Party

Call: NO5W
Operator(s): NO5W
Station: NO5W

Class: SO Mobile LP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 16

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs  Dig Qs
----------------------------
  160:    0     0       0
   80:    0     0       0
   40:    0     0       0
   20:  593     0       0
   15:  327     0       0
   10:    1     0       0
    6:    0     0       0
    2:    0     0       0
  UHF:    0     0       0
----------------------------
Total:  921     0       0  Mults = 58  Total Score = 179,254

Club: NARS

Comments:

Score includes 20,000 bonus points for five or more QSOs from 24 counties.

The 2002 TQP was easily the most fun I have had in 45 years as a ham!

When our club TQP leader discussed the TQP at the club meeting a week prior to
the event and asked all those who would be mobile to stand, I tentatively stood
up.  Tentative, because at that point the only ingredients I had for a
successful mobile TQP operation were a Pathfinder, an ICOM-706MKIIG, a laptop
running homebrew contesting software -- no mobile antenna or visible means of
supporting said device, no power from the vehicle to the radio, and had never
made a mobile contact. Needless to say, with only a week to go, I had my work
cut out.  As we left the meeting I casually asked Bruce (N1LN) if he still had
those Hamsticks for sale. Sure enough he did and I dropped by his QTH Saturday
to pick them up -- in addition I got the grand tour of his antenna farm and
station (actually that was the real reason I asked about the Hamsticks!) --first
problem solved. Well, during the next week I located a mag mount, practiced some
"dude speak" prior to heading down to the local car stereo installer to get the
power routed to the back of the vehicle, tuned the antennas to the CW portion,
and set up the operating position -- ending up on Friday evening. At that point
my YL driver asked "Say radioman, where we going tomorrow" to which I replied
that I would be happy just to make a few contacts from the next county or two --
I had yet to make a QSO on the mobile or to have it out of the driveway. The
hamsticks looked mighty tall on the top of the SUV and I was wondering how many
tree limbs we were going to encounter -- much less low bridges.

The next morning, shortly before the starting bell, I went out to start the car
and fire up the rig to see if I could make a few contacts. An hour and 60 Qs
later I came back in and told the YL "This thing is hot! Call your sister in
northeast Texas and tell her the Texas QSO Party is coming to town and stopping
by her place tonight -- we're gonna head up to Waco and then swing northest over
to Lake Bob Sandlin for the night, and then head back down through East Texas
for the return home.

Well, we did just that putting on 25 counties and put more Qs in the log than I
ever have in a contest weekend. Conditions were great, the pileups well-behaved
as I sometimes had to struggle to complete the QSO with the weaker stations, and
the vehicle was surprisingly radio-quiet.

We're already planning for next year with the following improvements: need more
frequency and mode agility.  Having to stop to change antennas meant that I
often stayed on a worked out band longer than I should have or lost operating
time. Next year we will add SSB mode.  Also better knowledge and planning of the
route would have gotten us to the next county quicker allowing more counties in
the log. And there's that noisy PC power brick that needs to be replaced as well
as some minor noise from the vehicle.

All in all it was a great weekend and I would highly recommend QSO party mobile
operation especially if, like me, the definition of tribander at the fixed home
QTH is 3 wires in the attic fed from the same feedline!  

73 and CU in the QSO party again next year -- maybe before then since the YL is
asking if we would be allowed to operate in state in the FQP. Hmmn, maybe a
spring vacation to FL is in store.  Will have to check with K4OJ on how many
days there are until that fun event.

Chuck/NO5W

Equipment: ICOM 706MKIIG, 20/15/10 meter hamsticks with Quad mag mount, Kent
paddle, CQX Homebrew Software with W5XD Multi-Keyer, 2002 Pathfinder


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