[3830] ARRL 10 N0JK SO CW QRP

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                    ARRL 10-Meter Contest

Call: N0JK
Operator(s): N0JK
Station: N0JK

Class: SO CW QRP
QTH: KS
Operating Time (hrs): 8

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   CW:  121    32
  SSB:           
-------------------
Total:  121    32  Total Score = 15,488

Club: 

Comments:

I had to work Friday night of the contest, so missed the first Es opening. Off
Saturday and slept 'til about 3 pm. In the meantime a strong cold front came
through Wichita with 60 mph wind gusts and blew down the outside wire beam I
had put up earlier in the week just for the 10M contest. 
 
To get on for the contest I put a CB mag. mount whip on the car out in the
driveway, ran coax into the garage and set up inside there with the radio on a
cardboard box. With the door shut it was chilly, but out of the wind. Used a
MFJ tuner to get the SWR down. Didn't expect to work much but with 5 watts made
about 30 QSOs, mostly Es to Florida and Texas. Logged several XEs, VP5CW and
ZL1BYZ (probably via Es link to F2 at 0153 utc).
 
The next morning my wife Pat N0HKT and I drove to Lawrence from Wichita for a
lunch with our kids who are at KU.. I operated from the car while she drove.
Worked a couple of strong Florida stations via Es. Around 1650 UTC VY2ZM,
VY2SS, VE1OP and VE2TKH suddenly popped up with unbelievably huge signals. Jeff
was pegging the S-meter. I believe it was direct F2. They were in for around 10
minutes, put them in the log, then all disappeared just like a switch had been
thrown. At 1723 I found ZS1EL CQ'ing. I dropped in my call figuring no way he
would hear me. Came right back with his QSO # 450. A little later worked ZS6NJ.
14,547 km to Pretoria, South Africa from the KS turnpike with 5 watts and a 3
foot high antenna on the roof of the car. 10 Meters is amazing. Even the XYL
conceded it was cool.
 
We arrived in Lawrence and had lunch our kids. After lunch I got back on the
radio from a portable VHF site west of Lawrence I use around 2130 utc. 10 was
wide open with Es and some F2. Logged KH6ZM, CE3G, ZX5J and many stateside.
W0SD and K9CT sounded like they were via aurora with buzz and distortion on
their signals. K0MF in Colorado was the last in the log. Ended up with over 120
Qs. After the contest there was a nice 6M Es opening from Florida to California.


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