[3830] QRP To the Field, WQ8RP (N8XX) SOTB

[Hank Greeb]

QRP To The Field 2007  
Call Used: WQ8RP (Michigan QRP Club Call)
Operators: N8XX
Category code: SOTB (Single Operator, Taco Bell)
Station Location: GREENVILLE, MI (Next to a Taco Bell on Washington Street
Rig(s): DRAKE TR 5
Antenna(s): 40 Meter DIPOLE FED W OPEN WIRE LINE, Johnson Matchbox
Highest Power: 4.9W      
Exchanged info: 559 TB
 
QSO's     
40M    43
20M    10
15M    0
10M    0
TOTAL  53

SUBTOTAL SCORE    97
SPC Mult          14
Location Mult      5

Total     6790 Final Claimed Score

SOAPBOX:
The QRP To the Field is a very interesting event.  It's a "QRP contest 
with a twist."  This year the "twist" was "Run for the Border" which had 
a dual meaning - a station set up within sight of a Taco Bell Restaurant 
was eligible for a location multiplier of 5.  Stations set up at the 
border to two or more states gave out two or more SPC multipliers, and 
received a location multiplier of 4.  Other field stations received a 
multiplier of 3, and home stations a multiplier of 1.

I've just become again interested in QRP and QRP contesting, so this was 
all new to me.  I have a Heath HW9 rig, but I haven't used it for 
several years, so I dragged my trusty Drake TR5, my Johnson Matchbox, 
and my 1 KW 2 cycle generator.  I suspect the whole setup weighed over 
100 pounds (I didn't weigh the collection, but it's considerably more 
than <1 pound - some only a few ounces - which is typical of a QRP 
station in the field.)  I've a resolution for New Year 2010 to "get with 
it" concerning lightweight QRP Field operation.  :)  A picture of the 
setup, including the Taco Bell Restaurant in the background is at 
http://www.greeb.net/qrpttf/wq8rptb1.jpg   (Note that my camera's date 
was wrong - it isn't a picture taken in the future!)

The call WQ8RP threw some non QRP ops - particularly folks in the 
Florida QSO party.  I'm sure part of the concern was because the signal 
was weak, but it seems that WQ is a rare prefix, which people aren't 
used to hearing.  Thanks to the Michigan QRP Club for allowing me to use 
this call - it attracts attention!

72 de n8xx Hg (No, 72 isn't a typo, for whatever reason QRPers often use 
72 instead of 73....)