[3830] FlQP K4KG M/SMixed LP

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                    Florida QSO Party

Call: K4KG
Operator(s): K5KG VE7ZO
Station: K4KG

Class: M/SMixed LP
QTH: FL
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs
--------------------
   40:   668    59
   20:  1159   145
   15:            
   10:            
--------------------
Total:  1827   204  CW Mults = 65  Ph Mults = 43  Total Score = 883,328

Club: Florida Contest Group

Comments:

This year George, K5KG, and I once again had the chance to operate K4KG/m in
what has become for me one of the highlights of the contesting season. 
Beautiful scenery, high QSO rates and an excuse to visit George, Kay and Winnie
have made this a favorite.  As per the other years, the station consisted of an
ICOM 756ProII run with WriteLog.  None of the contest logging programs we have
found are adept at building and tabulating a score as a FQP mobile operating in
multiple counties but George has developed a method that logs Q’s and
accurately accounts for multipliers.  In the end it produces a workable
Cabrillo file.  

For the second year we sported a Force 12 Sigma 5 vertical dipole mounted on a
small trailer and a 40 M Hamstick on the roof of Geo’s new Toyota Highlander.
 Previously we have been fortunate to have little trouble with the system but,
as reported by others, this seems to be the year for Murphy.  Inexplicably, the
radio started shutting down and rebooting itself while operating on Saturday
evening.  These radio shut-downs continued all through Sunday and, although we
were filled with trepidation, the radio continued to function until the end of
the contest.  What turned out to be more disturbing was the watery sound on 20
M that made us abandon the band on Saturday evening but seemed ok Sunday
morning.  Once we hit the road in earnest it became clear the problem was
antenna related.  After stopping and dismantling the antenna, coax and coils on
four separate occasions, we finally found the problem in a hairline crack in the
coax center conductor inside the loading coil housing.  Full of relief, but an
hour and a half behind schedule, we headed out of Taylor County being able to
once again hear the stations calling.  Just so we wouldn’t forget him, Murph
caused the WriteLog program to lock-up completely while going through our last
county — Pinellas — and we were reduced to hand sending and logging for the
final fifteen minutes.

The conditions from our perspective were mixed.  Overall, we felt they were
better than 2007 and, although others were able to work stations on 15 M, we
did not.  The west coast was markedly stronger than the previous year and we
were able to move OR and WA to SSB without much difficulty.  Bill KH7XS was our
first KH6 in our many years of the FQP and a welcome addition to our log on 12
occasions.  The consistent DX efforts of CT1ILT, CU2JT and OM2VL gave the FQP
that needed DX spice.  Somehow we managed to miss SD but like others ND, NV,
AK, DC, VE5, VE6, VE8, VO and VY1 did not find their way into our log. 

Congratulations to the great operating standards exhibited by regular
out-of-state competitors who come back to this contest year after year.  The
top stations in our log were as follows:

W8MJ – 66
WA3HAE – 62
K3WW – 50
K3TW – 45
N8II – 43
VA3DX – 37
VE3KZ – 37
VE3UTT – 34
K9LJN - 32
CT1ILT - 22
KH7XS – 12
CU2JT - 11

Due to antenna troubles and getting lost on a couple of occasions we only
activated 42 of the projected 44 counties.  Results were as follows:

FL CTY	NO. QSOs
DES	90
CIT	84
SEM	80
CLA	78
VOL	75
ORA	72
PUT	70
BAK	67
UNI	65
BRE	64
HIL	62
STL	61
GIL	59
TAY	55
OKE	53
SUW	50
PAS	50
LAF	49
NAS	48
STJ	47
MAO	47
MAD	46
GLA	43
PAL	43
OSC	43
LEV	42
IDR	41
CLM	40
DIX	38
PIN	38
DUV	36
CHA	35
ALC	35
SUM	34
BRA	33
JEFF	32
HER	27
HAM	25
HEN	22
FLG	22
MRT	20
LEE	16

Thanks for all the QSO’s and especially for those stations that make the
special effort to dust off their microphones and give us a SSB mult!

Jim VE7ZO 

I will add my 2 cents worth to Jim’s write up.  

As Jim mentioned, we sported a new Toyota Highlander this year.  The 1998 Ford
Explorer that we used in previous years went on to a better life!  In previous
years, I would remove the front passenger seat in the Explorer and install a
table in its place.  This year, a few days in advance of the FQP, I took the
Highlander to the dealer for their advice on removing the front seat.  They
strongly advised against it, as doing so would disable the air bag system.  As
a result, we had to build a new table for the Highlander.  There was room
enough for the table to fit behind the pushed-forward front passenger seat
which gave us ample room for the radio, laptop, paddle and keyboard.

I had a mobile audio shop install #8 12 vdc cabling from the battery terminals
through fuses in each line and into the passenger compartment.  I installed 45
amp Power Pole connectors to these conductors, and connected them to a Rig
Runner DC distribution box.  With the radio connected and the engine fired up,
we were pleasantly surprised to find that NO NOISE at all was generated by the
car — a significant improvement over the S6 noise generated by the Ford!  AC
power for the laptop was provided by a Targus AC/DC adapter that we purchased
two years ago at Best Buy.

Our operating category is mixed CW and SSB.  We work SSB, not to get a boatload
of SSB QSOs, but to pick up valuable multipliers.  We ask CW stations to QSY to
SSB because we need their multipliers, and many times they oblige.  However,
frequently our requests are met with a variety of responses —
deer-in-headlights dead silence, “no”, “no mic”, or, worst of all,
“cw only”.  A response of “cw only” is very frustrating to us because
CW-only stations CAN make SSB contacts and still submit their logs as CW-only. 
I make a plea to the CW-only stations to QSY to SSB when requested; doing so
will not jeopardize their CW-only entry status.

I would like to give special recognition to the stations that are very adept at
making quick QSYs to SSB.  They are W8MJ, WA3HAE, K3WW, K3TW and N8II.  Also, I
would like to call special attention to the QRPers – KG5U, K3TW, W8TM, etc.
– who amazingly break the pile ups time after time.  Other stations that
stand out with their excellent operating prowess are KH7XS, K0AD, K0RC, CT1ILT,
CU2JT, and a myriad of VE3/VA3s – DX, EJ, GSI, OM, KZ, UTT, DF, KF, etc.
     
FQP is sponsored by the Florida Contest Group.  Behind the scene making it all
happen are Dan, K1TO, the master log processor and reporter, Ron, WD4AHZ, who
hand enters paper logs and maintains the web site, Fred, K4LQ, who publishes
the FCG Gazette, Jeff, WC4E, who prepares and distributes certificates, and
Eric, K9ES, who manages the plaque program.  Without these dedicated folks, the
FQP would not be what it is!  

73, George, K5KG – K4KG/m


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