[3830] WPX CW WT5R(W5ZL) SOAB QRP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: WT5R
Operator(s): W5ZL
Station: W5ZL

Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: TX
Operating Time (hrs): 10

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:     
   40:   22
   20:  183
   15:     
   10:     
------------
Total:  205  Prefixes = 166  Total Score = 72,376

Club: Central Texas DX and Contest Club

Comments:

I hadn't planned to operate in this contest, but Friday evening I decided to see
if I could make any contacts with my little Altoids QRP radio (the remarkable
ATS-3B kit put out by Steve Weber KD1JV). Through the kindness of my good
friend WT5R, whose call I've "borrowed" for the past three WPX runs, I hooked a
9V alkaline battery to the Altoids box and went hunting on 20 beginning just
before 0200. My first Q was with CU2X, who was BOOMING in, and who answered my
first call. Bear in mind that this radio probably does something north of a
watt on a brand spanking new 9V battery, but as it rather quickly depletes, so
does the output power. As the evening wore on and I notched more and more DX,
including many EU stations and even ZM1A (that took a fresh battery!), I got
seriously hooked. It is just a thrill to be heard half way around the world
with a tiny little radio like this - I was like a kid again working my first
contest. Crude but effective.

Sunday morning, with my supply of fresh 9V batteries dwindling, I built up a
12V regulator circuit to hang on an unused 13.8V supply (the ATS-3B wants to
see nothing higher than 12.0 volts), and now running a steady 11.6V into the
radio off the mains I was really cooking with gas.

I know mine is not a competitive score, but I had a ton of fun. Mostly I want
to thank all those stations out there who strained to, and succeeded in
completing a QSO with my VERY weak QRP station. To be fair, I think these
contests ought to reward non-QRP stations for putting up with working
flea-powered guys like me.

Station: ATS-3B six-band synthesized QRP rig in an Altoids can (0.7-3.5W)
Antenna: Tennadyne T-11 Log Periodic at 51' for 20M and dipole for 40M.
Logging Software: N1MM (not interfaced to radio), all CW sent manually through
the ATS-3B's internal keyer and programmed memory.


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