[3830] 7QP N7WA SOCW HP

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                    7th Call Area QSO Party - 2020

Call: N7WA
Operator(s): N7WA
Station: N7WA

Class: SOCW HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 18

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs  Dig Qs
----------------------------
  160:     8             
   80:   245             
   40:   516             
   20:   730             
   15:     3             
   10:     1             
    6:                   
    2:                   
----------------------------
Total:  1503    0       0  Mults = 67  Total Score = 302,103

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Comments:

That was fun.
  
Normally, I would be out on the road doing this test as a mobile.
Though my wife is doing well enough recovering from a stroke last November,
she isn't ready to be left totally alone. However, she is well enough
that I could do some radio for the first time. I was really looking
forward to this. 
  
What I didn't expect was the large amount of activity and non-stop Q's.
Remember, I am used to being mobile. :>)  It was fire from the start
with many momentary (10 minute) intervals over 200 Q's. My best rate
extended rate was 258Q's over a 2 hour period. I expect the large 
number of stations were a side-effect of the quarantine. 
  
Of course, 10 and 15 were no shows. I worked a few locals but couldn't
scare up anything. As such, it was a 20M fest. I've never worked 700Q's
20M contacts in a major test (not for lack of trying), never mind a QSO Party.
  
The dupes were terrible. I had several stations come back for repeat Q's
multiple times. It's not a problem when nobody is calling but when the dupe
is the loudest caller in a pile of 3, and nobody is there after you finish
with the dupe - it hurts. In all, I have 48 zero pointers.
  
The station hasn't been on since CW Sweeps and the shack has become my
work place for the past two months. Took a little bit to get it back in
order. Still, there were a couple issues both related the amp. Mid-day,
I started getting receive fall-outs and squirrely SWR. Thought maybe the
amp antenna switchover relay was messed up. Took the whole cover off,
about 20 screws, before finding the coax between the amp output and the
wattmeter was acting up. A quick replacement, 30 minutes lost, and we 
were back on until late on 80M. 
  
This time, just squirrely SWR with high power. I went out to check the
80M antenna (a delta loop) in the dark. The impedance transformer is in
low corner and it was in a bunch of cedar branches after our long
winter. Soaking wet cedar branches from the rain. I moved it out, shook
it dry, and the problem never returned. Another 30 minutes lost.
  
Lots of DX, worked every state but North Dakota. Did I say this was fun?
Thanks for the contacts.
  
cheers
mike, n7wa
  
Postmortem on the bad cable shows what looks like arcing on the
center pin where it came out of the amp. Looking in the SO-239, 
the center conductor also shows arcing and will need replacement.


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