[3830] OhQP AF8A Single Op LP

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                    Ohio QSO Party - 2019

Call: AF8A
Operator(s): AF8A
Station: AF8A

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: GEAU
Operating Time (hrs): 8.0

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs
--------------------
   80:  176     2
   40:   63     2
   20:    1      
   15:           
   10:           
--------------------
Total:  240     4  CW Mults = 95  Ph Mults = 3  Total Score = 47,432

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

Who knew a QSO Party could be so much fun with such unusual conditions (ie 20
meters, next to useless; and 40 meters, so long that in-state QSOs were all but
impossible)?  That was a day well spent at the radio.

AF8A put on a Field Day-style operation, with a single antenna (trapped 40/80
dipole) in the wilds of GEAU County (generally, more rare than my home QTH of
CUYA).  I operated in a buddy's pool house (about 8x12 feet), with screened
windows, a ceiling fan, 115VAC and a 2500 ft^2 house just steps away - not
exactly roughing it.  Oh, and pool too, though it was too cool for any midnight
dips.  

One end of the antenna was about 45 ft. high, but the other end, much lower, due
to the terrain (mostly an old sand/gravel pit).  The worst part was the large
hill(what would you expect from a worked out quarry?) to the east.  Next year, I
need to get an antenna support rope at the top of the hill, so that portion of
my RF can go over, rather than through, the earth.  The support ropes were
launched back in April (before leaves and thorny undergrowth appeared) and left
in place.  It was a simple task to attach the antenna, connect a feed line and
hoist both ends.  I installed a 1:1 unun just before the coax entered the
'shack' and no RF problems occurred (even without any ground connection).

I put together a minimalist station (hoping not to partially tear down the main
home station) and I was successful in that regard.  An IC706MKIIg (not well
known as a contester's favorite), power supply, 'phones and a laptop (plus the
necessary interfaces).  Pretty simple - not even a paddle.  Oh, and a cell phone
to serve as a wi-fi hotspot for the cluster connection.  Easy to connect
everything in a about 20 minutes, slightly less for teardown.

I planned an executed a nearly 100% CW operation.  KU8E and W8WTS asked me for
'phone QSOs so I obliged.  I heard fellow MRRC'er WZ8P calling CQ on 75, so I
answered Everett, despite the really high SWR up there.  I bet I could have made
a 100 or more phone QSOs, but then I would have needed a tuner, perhaps a coax
switch, etc.  That wasn't fitting with the minimalist approach.  Maybe next
year.

Statistics:  

65 of 88 Ohio counties worked
102 of 240 QSOS were S&P, so 138 were answers to my CQs

167 different calls were worked.  QSO Counts:

Mobiles (thanks one and all):
K8MR was worked 20 times (for 10 mults)
K8O was worked 11 times (for 8 mults)
K8RYU was worked 6 times (for 4 mults)
W8UE was worked 3 times (or 2 mults)

Fixed:
W8WTS was worked 5 times
KU8E was worked 3 times
W9PA was worked 2 times
N4PN was worked 2 times
K8BA was worked 2 times
KE8G was worked 2 times
K8MFO was worked 2 times (thanks, Don, for selling me your IC-706MKIIG 11 years
ago - it’s still going strong!) 

It was nice to work many CW contesting friends from MRRC, CWOps, contests past,
and first-timers too.  On to the next one!

73 de Gary, AF8A


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