[3830] OkQP N4CD Mobile Single OpCW LP
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Tue Mar 22 15:14:28 EDT 2022
Oklahoma QSO Party - 2022
Call: N4CD
Operator(s): N4CD
Station: N4CD
Class: Mobile Single OpCW LP
QTH: okla
Operating Time (hrs): 8
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs Dig Qs
----------------------------
160:
80:
40:
20:
15:
10:
6:
----------------------------
Total: 432 0 0 Mults = 63 Total Score = 81,648
Club:
Comments:
Raw score - might be a few dupes in there
The OKLAHOMA QSO PARTY was coming up. This is always a good one with at least
half a dozen mobiles running all over the state and putting out the 77 counties.
For mobiles, there are plaques to be won in several categories from
'non-assisted' (no driver) to 'assisted' to multi-op. Room for all. CW and
SSB and Mixed categories, too. For hunters, lots of awards, too. The contest
regulars would be out. I'd be one of six or eight mobiles. I'm not a
fanatic at putting out counties for the entire contest period and don't go the
entire contest time from 9am to 9pm Saturday, and with Daylight Saving Time this
year , from 10-4pm on Sunday.
Well, dang. Looked at the weather – snow, ice, cold – with a nasty cold
front coming through on Friday early in northern OK, and descending down and
reaching Dallas during the day on Friday. Couple inches of snow up in the top
of OK and potential for slippery weather over much of OK. Looks like my longer
planned trip was not going to happen. So I'd just do a few counties in the very
south. No one indicated they were going to Marshall or Bryan from the planned
routes page, so I'd do those and a few others (stopping in parks). The way to
'win' a state QSO Party is do 3 and 4 way county lines (where permitted – not
all QSO parties allow county line contacts). Then you get 3 or 4 QSOs per
contact by doing that. Make 50 contacts and that's 150 contacts for score.
However, parks seldom have county lines in them other than 'state forests' and a
few others – or at least ones you can get too. So, I'd run individual
counties and not sweat the score.
Turns out that in Dallas we had zero rain, ice, snow. Probably true for
southern OK. Connie, K5CM, in Muscogee OK, had a few inches early Friday but
gone by Saturday and no issue.
Most of the other mobiles seemed to plan routes to the south half of OK, too,
but all counties were scheduled to be on the air.
Saturday March 10
I headed out a bit after 7am headed up US-75 to OK. 34F at home. No sweat
getting there. Hour and a half drive to the first spot. Not a flake of snow or
ice or anything on the roads. First up is Lake Texoma Sate Park – K/KFF-2791
in Marshall County. Put 50+ in the log on 20M CW. Not much DX. Conditions
were rated 'good' with SFI over 100 and sunspots in the 80s. Did put CU3, F,
OH, DL, HI8 in the log There have been 39 prior activations of this park with
over 1,900 QSOs make from here. Not especially 'rare' – hi hi. You can go
and camp there for a few days and make a couple hundred contacts while there.
Just over the bridge headed east – there's a nice spot to pull over and run
BYRAN county. There's no park in this county so I'd run it -”park-less”.
Zipped out 40 Qs and headed up to Fort Washita in Johnson County – K 8142 only
in POTA. This is old fort from the Indian Wars days and Civil War . It was
recently added to POTA parks so not so many Qs made from here – just 10
activations and 724 prior QSOs. Ran on 15m cw, then 40m cw.
The ID QSO Party started up – so I'd hunt a bunch of them in between parks. I
don't usually run 'on the go' in state QSO Parties as there is too much to log
while driving along – call and their state. Don't like using a recorder. I
stop to run. As a 'senior' I'm not going to be taking chances on the mostly two
lane roads in OK. From here I travel some back roads and main highways to
get to the next. The GPS lady knows the way.
I was using hamsticks on a 4 magnet mount on top of the car. Had 40, 20, 17m
and up available. Took 30 seconds to change bands when stopped. QSO parties
don't use WARC bands. 17 good for regular park hunting activity. Did use 15
but never checked 10M.
Tishomingo NWR - K/KFF-0941. This has been run many times as it was in the
NPOTA parks in 2016 and was carried over. It's large and there are several
spots to run it. I'd be at an easy to get one near the park HQ. I went to 15M.
It was hopping. Put a bunch in the log on that band. Time was going by and
more parks/counties to run. I don't do 'after dark' these days. There have
been 19 previous activations and 1087 Qs from here.
Grabbed a slice of pizza at a Hunt pizza place at a service station.
Not far away is Texoma Washita Arm WMA – K-6378/KFF-4834. It's in Johnston
County. Use a GPS program to cdouble heck county. (What's My County?). It
uses your current location and gives you GPS reading and the county.
Ran on 15m cw and 40m cw. One access point is right off the main road – on a
dirt road – if you know where to find it. There's a shooting range there and
halfway through my run someone started some noisy high power rifle practice a
half mile from where I was Noisy. Range is open to the public.
I've been there a couple times. There have been 8 prior activations and 330
QSOs. Hmm....not that many. Probably could use a lot more contacts! I
added in a bunch. Guess not too many know how easy it is to get to it! Most
of it is not easy to get to when you look at the map!
Running out of time. I'm not a speed demon and plod along at about 23 wpm
according to the RBN (reverse beacon network) connected to the POTA spot site.
That's fast enough for the slower folks, but not fast enough for the
contesters.
>From this park it's 35 minutes to get to the next. Lake Murray State Park in
Carter, OK, KFF/K-2790. It's a big and popular spot with half dozen
campgrounds, cabins, marinas, and activities. (turns out another OK station
set up here in the park and operated SSB - never heard him) .
39 prior activations and 1,900 Qs with N4CD having been here 8 times before.
It's right along I-35 so it's tempting to stop by for a dozen Qs when traveling.
(well, I've made 380 Qs from here in those 8 visits). Rain 20m and had to
skedaddle to get to the next and home before 'dark'.
Heard Bob W0BH/m but he had tremendous pileup so didn't get to work him. No
way to bust the pile although he was S5. Never worked another mobile.
Down I-35 to Love Valley, except the interstate wasn't cooperative. There's a
one lane section with a five or more mile backup that moves at 8 mph. Better
part of an hour at 8 mph or less. After a while, I just decided to put out Love
County as I was cruising along at up to 8mph – stop and go, stop and go. Put
35 in the log...on 20m.
Eventually reached Love Valley WMA at Exit 1 – K-6358/KFF-4815. Didn't have
all that many in log there as many had already worked me in LOVE. . John, N6MU
wanted 15m at the end. Late in day but added 4 on 15M including JO7WXN from
Japan. He's usually hunting counties on 17M. Didn't stick around long. It
was already 5pm. Sunset is 6:30 and that's about the time I'd be getting
home.....or a bit after. Headed home with no slowdowns.
Glad I didn't go out as Sunday the bands were rated 'poor' as a CME hit the
Earth, sent the K index to high values and killed propagation for a while.
Signals were weak! Mother nature slammed OK QP this year with threats of bad
weather (most of which didn't happen) and then not so great propagation on
Sunday morning. However, even with 'weak' signals, contacts were made. Slept
in Sunday. Things got better in the afternoon till QRT time.
Missed ND, RI, HI -
only got NB, QC, ON, and BC in Canada
DX worked included HI, CU, LY, F, I , DL, JA, OH, SP (some of them park
hunters)
Ran 5 OK counties with my stops in the six parks. Of course, the way to run
up one's score is run the county lines, but parks seldom have convenient county
lines in them. Just went out to have some fun and give out a few counties.
Rig: Old IC-706, 4 magnet mag mount on roof top of Malibu, Hamstick antennas,
paper logging.
73 de N4CD
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