[3830] NAQP SSB VE7FO M/2 LP

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                    North American QSO Party, SSB

Call: VE7FO
Operator(s): VE7FO  VE6IMR  VE7HAK
Station: VE7FO

Class: M/2 LP
QTH: Vancouver
Operating Time (hrs): 10

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:   20     8
   40:   17    11
   20:  215    44
   15:           
   10:           
-------------------
Total:  252    63  Total Score = 15,876

Club: British Columbia DX Club

Team: 

Comments:

The plan for this one was to do a multi-two.  As usual, I use the SSB contests
for newby contester training.  I've come to realize that taking someone whose
experience is with VHF hand helds or less, sitting them down in front of a MkV
and a logging program, and coaching them on how to make and log Qs efficiently
is pretty intimidating for some.  

I now have gear for 2 op positions, the aforementioned MkV and a 706.  So now I
can network the two positions so that a spotting op at the 706 can feed spots
into the TRLog bandmap for the run op to use when things get slow.  This
provides a great training opportunity.  The really inexperienced newby can be
assigned to the spotting position.  There he can practise tuning SSB, converting
phonetics into keystrokes, and entering calls into the TR bandmap.  As the
spotting and run positions are networked, the run op can work these spots when
things get slow.  All the while the spotting op is doing this he's hearing the
good ops and the not so good ones.  Ideally, a mentor would be pointing out the
differences.  At some point, the spotting op moves to the run position.

As usual, other things in life intrude so the spotting station is not yet set up
the way I want.  Still, I did manage to attract a couple of trainees, VE6IMR for
the first time and VE7HAK for the third.  So, while we had multi ops we used
only one Tx.

Conditions were rather poor while IMR was here.  We spent some time with the
usual rig and TRLog intro stuff and a few demo Qs and then he took over. 
Unfortunately, not many Qs to be had.

I got quite a surprise when I started to explain to him why we were using OJ for
the name.  I found I couldn't talk.  I never met Jim.  We traded e-mail banter
from time to time and he invited me to op at K4OJ once, which I declined for
financial reasons.  In retrospect, I think that was a mistake.  Anyway, somehow
Jim became part of me and every time I try to talk about him I get these very
strong emotional reactions, including right now.  RIP Jim.

The last two times HAK came over he never did get to operate as I was having
computer problems and his work is fixing computer problems.  By the time the
computer was functioning again it was too late to do any operating.  This time I
vowed that he would get to op and he did.  

He had a bit of a trial by fire when he tried running on 20 at about 0320Z. 
Conditions had picked up a lot and he found himself dealing with a 5 deep pileup
for about half an hour.  While he needs to reduce the number of words he uses to
say TU QRZ I was proud of the way he would pick out a partial call and say
things like, "The W6 go ahead.  No, no, the W6 only please."  He made 45 Qs in
45 min and, at one point, he had the rate meter up to 80.  That was better than
I did at any time during the contest.  20 kind of petered out then and we went
to 40.  40's a tough band with my low dipole and, while he made some Qs, it
wasn't anywhere near as much fun as he had on 20.

For a change, I started off running at the beginning instead of the usual S&P. 
Well, I took a spin over 10 and 15, heard nothing and opened up on 20.  First
caller was a very pleasant surprise, VY1JA.  Thanks Jay.  I heard him lots of
times after that with good strong signals.  I hope he did well.

Worked 5 other OJ stations.

73 and tnx for the Qs

Jim	VE7FO


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