[3830] FlQP N5WR SO MobileCW LP

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                    Florida QSO Party

Call: N5WR
Operator(s): N5WR
Station: N5WR

Class: SO MobileCW LP
QTH: FL
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs
--------------------
   40:   289     
   20:  2120     
   15:    45     
   10:           
--------------------
Total:  2454    0  CW Mults = 69  Ph Mults = 0  Total Score = 677,304

Club: Tennessee Contest Group

Comments:

I have been wanting to do the FQP since I moved to the southeast 3 years ago,
and finally this year I was able to get the time off to make the trip down. I
drove down Friday night and stayed in Jackson county and started the contest
there. I spent the first 4 hours generally heading east across the northern
part of the state towards Jacksonville. Rates the first 2 hours were ok but not
great, less than 100/hr, and on 20 meters signals seemed fluttery. I wasn't sure
what this meant, there is a lot of noise while operating mobile, so I  wasn't
sure if it was engine noise, power line noise, or propagation. Conditions on 20
meters got better and I had 100+ in hours 3 and 4 of the contest. 15 meters was
open also but was long, I worked several EU stations and W7s as well.

Getting closer to Jacksonville I was having some intermittent problems with my
20 meter antenna. Normally I use a Hi-Q 4/80 screwdriver type antenna which I
park on 40 meters and then a 20 meter hamstick. The hamstick was giving me high
SWR so I had to stop several times to troubleshoot. I finally tracked down the
problem as a bad coax. I pulled over to the side of the road in Putnam county
to work on this, and was leaning over to get something out of my trunk with my
hand on the ground, when suddenly I felt a burning sensation on my hand. I
looked down and my hand was covered with ants that were biting me. I quickly
shook them off, but I still have marks on my hand. I don't know what kind of
ants they were but they sure hurt - some aggressive tropical ants that only
live south of I-10 I guess.

I had no further equipment issues after this. I ran into a little traffic jam
in Orange county driving past Disney World, and Polk county seemed to go on for
a long time (long enough to make 106 QSOs there), but otherwise there were no
issues with my route. As the evening hours came, 40 opened up and was able to
work more of the closer W4 stations. I ended the first day in Sarasota, one
county shy of my goal but still with 26 counties in the first day. Was very
nice to meet Dan K1TO for the first time as we met up for dinner near his home
along my route.

Day 2 started north of Tampa in Hillsborough county and I headed north across
the Gulf coast counties and then west across the Panhandle. Conditions were
good on 20 and I seemed to get off to a better start on Sunday. I really do not
know how I am doing during the contest because I do not create the log until
after the contest. The audio is recorded with a digital voice recorder and the
log generated post-contest. To me this is the only way to safely drive and
operate at the same time. This way my eyes are always on the road, left hand on
the wheel, right hand on the keyer.

I passed a couple of other mobiles on Sunday, driving past with antennas
sticking off their vehicles, so I knew I wasn't the only crazy one out there.
It is always amusing the looks and the comments I get when operating mobile.
Including one from a guy who pulled up in his Ford dually truck and rolled down
his window - 'Hey man, is that for a CB radio?' 'Ham radio.' 'How far can you
talk with that thing?' 'Pretty far'. As far as UA9 in this contest, in fact.

Late Sunday afternoon, as I was making my way across the panhandle, it become
apparent to me that quite a few stations still needed Gulf county, as I had
several stations asking when I would be there. I had quite a good pileup when I
finally made it there. But then, right in the middle of the pileup, my GPS
decided to have me turn down a county road that turned into a dirt road that
turned into a dead end, and I had to just stop running the pile for a few
minutes until I could figure out where I was. This happened to me in Bay county
as well, which was really quite pretty driving along the Gulf coast, until the
GPS led me down an unpaved road that was more sand than dirt and I nearly got
stuck before finally making it back to the highway and getting back on track.

Finished the contest heading towards Pensacola on I-10 and it ended with a
flurry of pileups and 212 QSOs in the last hour. I did not quite make it to
Escambia county but finished with 24 counties on Sunday and a grand total of
49.

Top NA QSOs: N9CK (49), K9CT (45), K9NW (40), VE3KZ (37), K5LH (37), K0HC (36),
K5WE (35), VE3TA (32), W1END (32), K9OM (30), WI9WI (30)

Top DX QSOs: DL3GA (22), HA8IB (16), SP5SA (9), NP2X (8), DL5MC (7)

There were some great signals from W9 and VE3. Thanks to all the DX stations
who stuck it out and called in. Also was pleasantly surprised to be called by
the mother ship - W1AW. Any DX station who would like a bureau card just send
me an email. Thanks to everyone for the QSOs. 

73, Erik N5WR


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