[3830] NAQP CW VA7ST Single Op LP

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                    North American QSO Party, CW

Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 9.95

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:   48    15
   80:   76    27
   40:  112    30
   20:  251    45
   15:  159    32
   10:           
-------------------
Total:  646   149  Total Score = 96,254

Club: 

Team: 

Comments:

Flux: 76  | Ap: 4  | Kp: 2

SO1R Gear:
* FT-2000 + N1MM Logger
* Tribander at 45'
* 40M half-square (2)
* 40M twin "bush" verticals
* 80M delta loop
* Ground-mounted all-band vertical
* Inv-L 160M (70' high, 60' horizontal)

Conditions were pretty good up high, pretty lousy down low. 

I did a bit of pre-contest prep, making sure antennas looked OK. I spent an
evening checking to see if I could use the FT-2000 and FT-920 safely in SO2R
mode. Not yet, is seems. While I have the N1MM SO2R figured out and working
with the rigs, the T-connectors I need for stub filters are on backorder. As an
impatient ham, I wanted to know if antenna separation alone is sufficient for
any useful two-band combination. I turns out it isn't adequate at 100W, though
QRP would work a peach, hi. So I have to wait for the Ts to install stubs for
40/20 and 80/all on each radio and hope 25-30dB of suppression will allow me to
try SO2R.

One thing I didn't get going before 1800z was the Livescores.org score posting.
So, a few minutes into my 15M run I decided to turn it on. Firewall asked if I
should allow the score server to access the net. I was running stations, and
absent-mindedly clicked "deny" instead of "allow." For the next 15 minutes, I
was busy trying to keep the run going while authorizing livescores in the
firewall controls, and ended up restarting the machine. Twice. 

At last, N1MM was posting my score and I enjoyed very much watching my score
bounce up and down the list as the ebb and flow of Qs and mults willed. I
highly recommend being part of the Livescores.org group. It really does keep
you in the chair. 

Band by band, there were a few stories to tell....

Listened to 10M several times, but didn't even hear band noise, let alone
stations. Total washout there.

15M was actually very good. When I first go to a band I do an S&P pass down
then back up the band to catch as many new mults as I can, then find a spot to
run. This time, I just parked on 21.023 and ran with it, working 64 right out
of the gate. Felt really good. When I looked up again at 2030z I had 159 Qs in
the bag and 32 mults (an NAQP best-ever for me on 15M, in fact).

20M was similarly hot. Nothing special to report, other than 2/3 of my Qs there
were picked up in a single great-fun run of 168 Qs from 2100 to 2220z.

I took my single 2-hour break from just before 3 p.m. till just before 5 p.m.
Pacific (0252 to 0053z). Had lunch and a 1.5-hour nap. Woke up with 10 minutes
left, went outside to double-check antennas and lower the tower as I wouldn't
need the tribander again, and was in the shack a couple minutes late. Went to
40M right away.

40M was very hard work, especially early in this second session -- darkness
falling, eastern and midwest not hearing me much at all. Tried the half-square
aimed SE, the half-square aimed at W7/W6, even the "bush" wire verticals aimed
NE. Managed to run 26 stations, but went to 80M for a while with just 30 Qs on
40M, knowing I was now doomed to a mediocre score.

80M was horrible. Really horrible. Finally worked a few W4s in the last hour.
Propagation was rotten, with only western stations hearing me for most of the
evening. I tried running, but did not have a single run. I know from recent
contests the 80M delta loop works, but something's wrong as it sure didn't this
time out. Nor did the all-band vertical backup antenna. Just one of those lousy
days for low-angle vertically-polarized antennas. Will try tapping the delta
for h-polarization and see how that does for these domestic contests. Qs halved
and mults down to 27 from 39 two years ago using corner-fed dual delta loops.

Thanks to Pat N9RV for taking me up to 80 from 160 for two hard-to-find mults.

160M domestic propagation was quite good, but nowhere near what it was for Stew
Perry. A few midwest, mostly western states. Far better in the final hour than
the first hours of darkness. Closed out with a few ILs and MNs in the final 10
minutes running.

Had hoped to crack 100,000 points but not to be with the dismal 40M and 80M
totals. Wire antenna overhauls resume as soon as the snow is gone.


Year  Qs   Mults  Score January NAQP CW
========================
2003: 412  147    60,564
2004: 206   62    12,772
2005: --    --        --
2006: 737  172   126,764
2007: 587  143    83,941
2008: 646  149    96,254


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/