[3830] FlQP NO5W SOABCW LP

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                    Florida QSO Party

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

Class: SOABCW LP
QTH: TX
Operating Time (hrs): 12

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs
--------------------
   40:   28     0
   20:  155     0
   15:    1     0
   10:    0     0
--------------------
Total:  184     0  CW Mults = 56  Ph Mults = 0  Total Score = 20,608

Club: 

Comments:

What a FB party this turned out to be. But it sure got off to a rocky start at
this QTH. Ready and eager to track the mobiles, which have always been one of
the outstanding features of this party, I tuned up on 20 just after the start
time and heard only some faint S3-S4 signals from Florida. I could hear stations
from the West Coast calling them, but with little success, although they were
somewhat stronger (S7) than the Florida stations here in Houston. Went up to 15
and worked one station and heard no others. Almost 4 hours into the party that
was my only contact even though I had called numerous stations on 20 off and on
while catching up on some computer work in the shack and beginning to lose
interest. 

At that point things didn't seem to be getting any better and I was about ready
to give it up but decided that maybe conditions were just too poor for the
marginal attic dipole on 20. So an old 40 dipole was cut down to 20 and slipped
into the backyard at about 20 feet. At least now I was able to make a few Qs
with the still very weak stations. It turned out to be a good decision since it
kept me interested although I still finished the first session with only 70 Qs
in the log. 

Sunday was much improved and with the outside antenna on 20 I was able to work
many of the mobiles, in particular N4TO/K4FCG/K4FQP/KU8E, on the first or second
call -- I was actually feeling loud with the 70 watts! And was hooked for the
rest of the day. 

The mults steadily climbed during the day and I began to think, well, maybe I'll
make a sweep as with about 3 hours left I could see where I might pick up
DIX/BRA/PUT from KU8E as he headed north, MTE from N4TO as he seemed to be
headed back toward Tampa area, and, in my dreams, W5WMU was gonna save the day
with all of my remaining western mults (BAY,ESC,HOL,OKA,WAG,WAL,GUL).

Unfortunately it was not to be. I worked W5WMU through some big pileups in HAM,
MAD, JEF, GAD, LIB, JAC but he just seemed to disappear after CAH at 1949. And
N4TO just skirted MTE as he worked to the east in POL, HAR. When I did finally
hear KU8E again he was already to the north of the three that I thought I would
pick up from him.  

Oh well even without the sweep it turned out to be a great party with all the
mobile activity. The FQP has some of the best. Some mobile stats: N4TO(19),
K4FCG(15), K4FQP(14), KU8E(14), W5WMU(12), W4SAA(9), W9HB(5), N4OO(5), NF4A(4),
K4EFZ(4). 

See you again next year and in the meantime look for NO5W/M in the TQP in
September. Info on the TQP can be found at http://www.txqp.org In 2002 we were
only about 20 counties shy of activating all 254 so there's good opportunity to
fill in some needed TX counties in the TQP. 

73, Chuck, NO5W


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