[3830] NAQP CW N2IC Single Op LP

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                    North American QSO Party, CW

Call: N2IC
Operator(s): N2IC
Station: N2IC

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: NM
Operating Time (hrs): 10
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   17     9
   80:   88    35
   40:  269    53
   20:  324    55
   15:  141    43
   10:   60    26
-------------------
Total:  899   221  Total Score = 198,679

Club: 

Team: Azenmokers 1

Comments:

Lots of fun to do my first SO2R contest from the new QTH.  The daily
thunderstorms arrived on schedule, and forced me to take 2 hours off in one lump
from 2037Z-2238Z.  I was lucky that we didn't get a 2nd wave of storms later in
the evening.  However, with the QRN on 80 and 160, it sure sounded like the
storms were in my backyard.  There didn't seem to be much chatter on the
reflectors before the contest, so I was concerned that activity would be down,
but it seemed about the same as last year.  Except for NH, activity from W1 was
terrible, in contrast to the excellent W4, W5, W6 and VE3 activity.  C'mon you
New Europe guys, why don't you try a contest where you can't run DL's for a
change ?

Observations:

- Nice to have some good sporadic E on 10 and 15 the first few hours.  Also nice
to not have folks CQ in my face on those bands !
- 20 was very absorptive early in the contest, and then went long very early -
by the time I got back on at 2238Z, it was tough to work most of W0.
- Need to be able to send RF simultaneously NE and NW from here in southwest NM.
 When pointing NE to the east coast, W6 and W7 are off the side of the beam, and
down 30-40 dB.  It was a lot easier from the old Colorado QTH to point east, and
rely on the crappy F/B of the KT-34XA to work W6/W7.
- Used just a dipole on 40, and felt very loud.  It has me wondering whether a
single yagi is going to be useful on 40 (see previous observation).
- Single-wire beverages don't work when you have absolutely no ground
conductivity.  I put one up on Friday towards the NE.  Measured 5 megaohms
between the 2 ground rods spaced 300 feet apart.  Didn't hear any better than
the transmit antennas.
- Need to do --something-- to hear better on 80 and 160.  I know I was an
alligator.  Sorry to those of you I couldn't pull through.

Thanks to everyone for the QSO's and moving to other bands !

73,
Steve, N2IC/5


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