[3830] TBDC N5IA(@N5BG) Single Op QRP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

Call: N5IA
Operator(s): N5IA
Station: N5BG

Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: DM52
Operating Time (hrs): 4:50
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 90  Total Score = 984

Club: Arizona Outlaws Contest Club

Comments:

This is my 14th year of operating the SPDC, and I am always learning something
new.  If there is one constant in 160 Meter contesting, it is that nothing is
the same as the year before.  Or even the day before.

I have for the past few years operated two entries, one with my own call in the
QRP category and a 2nd entry in the High Power category using a club call sign. 
That was my game plan this year.

The sun is already 35 minutes into the sky here when the contest begins.  I
start the contest using HP and typically get about 30 contacts before all
signals go away.  This year there was good propagation to JA before sunrise and
the constest start, but none during the hour and 20 minutes I operated.  So,
morning contacts = 35 this year.  So far everything right on schedule.

I started the HP operation again at 21:40, nearly 2.5 hours before sunset. 
This portion of my operating again was very typical with 42 more Qs going into
the HP operation log.

At 0000 Z I start the main entry in the QRP category.  This is where things
started to go awry.  For the next 4 hours and 50 minutes I struggled to make
contacts in the QRP mode.  At the same time the great EU signals were
everywhere I was S&Ping.  It finally got my attention that most everyone was
concentrating on the EU stations, in particular the eastern US stations where I
normally get a lot of 20+ point contacts.

I finally gave in to the temptation shortly after 0500.  I loaded the HP log
and started contacting all the DX stations I could still hear.  In the end I
was too late, because as others have noted, the sunrise lift for western EU did
not occur.

I finished out the night in HP and overall these are my statistics.

QRP entry = N5IA
4 hours and 50 minutes of operation.
90 Qs and 984 points.
Points per Q = 9.84
Minutes per Q = 3.2
No DX worked.

QRO entry = N7GP
12 hours and 15 minutes of operation.
377 Qs and 2,298 points.
Points per Q = 6.1
Minutes per Q = 1.95
DX worked =
AF- 0
AS- 3  = JA, JD, UA9
EU- 17 = 9H, DL, EI, F, G, GM, HA, OH, OK, OM, ON, OZ, SM, SP, UA, UA2, YL
NA- 5  = FM, KL, KP2, KP4, TI
OC- 4  = FO, KH6, VK, ZL
SA- 2  = CE, P4

All in all it was a very interesting outing.  The game plan changes when the
conditions change, and I learned quite a bit more about how to read the
conditions.

Thanks for all the Qs, and I look forward to contacting everyone in the CQ 160
CW which is only 4 weeks away.

73 de Milt, N5IA, and also operator of N7GP


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