[3830] NyQP W2LC/M MobileCW QRP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    New York QSO Party

Call: W2LC/M
Operator(s): W2LC
Station: W2LC/M

Class: MobileCW QRP
QTH: Various
Operating Time (hrs): 5

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs  Dig Qs
----------------------------
  160:                   
   80:    0     0       0
   40:   27     0       0
   20:   47     0       0
   15:                   
   10:                   
    6:                   
    2:                   
  222:                   
  432:                   
----------------------------
Total:   74     0       0  Mults = 24  Total Score = 3,552

Club: 

Comments:

I got a late start since the coax connections to the antenna mag-mount were so
rusted there wasn’t any connection left.  No wonder it hasn’t been working
well.  A trip to the hardware store for a couple drill bits and a 3/8-24 tap,
and about 45 minutes of work and I was back in business.  I broke the rusted
bolt trying to get it apart, so I had to drill out what was left of the bolt,
re-tap the hole, replace the bolt, re-do the coax connections and put it back
together.  I guess I am ready for next year.  I only started about 30 minutes
late, so that’s not too bad.

I was running 5 watts with an FT817, since I couldn’t get my TS-430 to work,
not enough juice from the 12V outlet.  I didn’t have time to tie into the
ground on the vehicle, so I taped a couple radials to the top of my Caravan
which seemed to help.  75 QSO’s mobile with 5 watts isn’t too bad.  So
OK2EC if you are reading this, I am really impressed that you were able to hear
my 5 watts on 40 meters!

My directions were pretty good so I didn’t get lost… well not too much. And
I only hit one tree with the antennas, which is amazing since the whips were on
top of my Caravan. Driving through Ontario, Seneca and Yates counties by Seneca
Lake is some of the most beautiful NY country side you would ever want to see.

All of the Seneca Lake wineries (the west side of the lake) seemed to have
something going on, but I didn’t stop for any wine tastings.  I was really
tempted, but I pushed on.  I stopped at a lake side parking area in Geneva and
enjoyed Seneca Lake while working stations.  The fingerlakes region of New York
state is a great place to visit if you like great countryside and wine tours.

After dark my otherwise good directions got much harder to follow, the darkness
made it much more difficult to see the road signs, but I managed.  I went way on
top of some hill in Schuyler County but by that time 20 meters was dead and 40
meters was pretty long.  I couldn’t work many stations from what is one of
the least populated county in New York.   A lucky 4 stations made the log (40m
CW) for Schuyler County even OK2EC, my vote for best ears in the world.  

I activated 7 counties including Onondaga, Cayuga, Wayne, Seneca, Ontario,
Yates, and Schuyler. My plan was to activate 4 more counties, Chemung, Tioga,
Steuben and Tompkins, but 20 meters went dead about  6:30PM local.  40 meters
went so long that 40 was basically useless after about 7:30PM local.  No 40m
and no 20m with 6 and a half hours left in the contest!  Ouch!  That really
hurt, since my best mobile band is 20m.  40m worked okay too, but not enough
daylight for the shorter distance contacts.

Looks like 47 QSO’s on 20m and 27 QSO’s on 20m, and only 1 QSO on 80m.  80
meters didn’t sound good, very long skip and I couldn’t hear the NY
stations too well, let alone work any of them.

I called CQ on 40m for an hour without an answer, so I decided to pack it in. 
The last 2 hours yielded only 2 QSO’s.  I tried 80m but all the New York
stations were S-zero and I could only hear W1IBQ and W0BH. QRP and mobile on
80m doesn’t work too well.

Actually all the bands went so long so early I didn’t work a single NY
station!  I am very disappointed that I couldn’t work anyone in NY.  I was
hoping to work some of those rare NY counties myself.  Oh well.  At least I was
able to give out a few. 

73 Scott W2LC/m


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