[3830] NAQP RTTY VA7ST Single Op LP

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                    North American QSO Party, RTTY - February

Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 10

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   80:  127    41
   40:  142    43
   20:  204    45
   15:  101    32
   10:           
-------------------
Total:  574   161  Total Score = 92,414

Club: British Columbia DX Club

Team: Aurora Busters

Comments:

Gear this time out:

* SO1R unassisted LP (FT-2000 and N1MM + MMTTY)
* Steppir 3 element at 27' all day
* 40M Steppir dipole at 45' in the evening
* 80M twin-vertical array E-W

Went in with no expectations at all, other than a hope of beating a previous
best set in 2007. Figured 15M might pop open well enough to add some mults. It
did, and the mults helped. 

Actually, I didn't just beat all previous outings, I left them in the dust. 19
more mults and 120 more QSOs than I've ever managed before in Feb. NAQP RTTY.
Bumped the high score from 60,836 up to 92,414 (claimed).

Overall, the bands were just plain better than they have been for half a
decade. No particular band jumped out as a clear strong-suit -- they were all
very good and I kept plodding along adding Qs and mults. Thought about going
SO2R on the lower bands but was busy enough I didn't feel the need to be more
busy.

80M was the most stingy Q/hr-wise, with the final two hours extremely slow.
But, as it always seems, if you keep at it there are stations to work. In the
final few minutes I roamed the band looking for anyone to work. Then, with
three minutes to go, or so, I found a window to CQ. Sent a few calls, and added
FL to the mult count with my final QSO at 0559:30z.

And the highlight, besides contacts with so many familiar "faces", was a
contact worth no points at all: ZD7JC calling in from St. Helena during a 20M
run. Man, that was GREAT! 

Hope the other Aurora Busters has as much fun as I did. Some had plenty of
severe wind and icing challenges affecting antennas in a big way. Out here in
BC I was expecting wind that never showed up. Being on the team helped keep me
in the chair at all the right times. 

Took all my off time at once, and had a long nap from 2115z to 2316z (1:15 to
3:15 p.m. Pacific) and I think it was just the right choice.

Had a very super time of it. Thanks for the Qs and thanks NCJ for the 'test.

-- Bud VA7ST
http://www3.telus.net/va7st

Score history (claimed)

NAQP      Qs    Mults   Score
==============================
2010 Feb  574   161     92,414 10 hrs
2009 Feb  367   122     44,774  9 hrs
2008 Feb  421   131     55,151
2007 Feb  454   134     60,836
2006 Feb  401   141     56,541
2005 Feb  420   142     59,640
2004 Feb  219   100     21,800
2003 Feb  191    87     16,616

20M    Qs  Mults
2010  204    44
2009  114    35
2008  173    46
2007  170    38
2006  135    38
2005  133    42


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