[3830] FlQP W4AN Multi-Op MobileMixed LP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    Florida QSO Party - 2022

Call: W4AN
Operator(s): KU8E K4BAI
Station: W4AN

Class: Multi-Op MobileMixed LP
QTH: FL
Operating Time (hrs): 20

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs
--------------------
   40:   138      
   20:  2076    69
   15:    26     2
   10:            
--------------------
Total:  2240    71  CW Mults = 67  Ph Mults = 25  Total Score = 835,728

Club: South East Contest Club

Comments:

Kenwood TS590SG and Hustler mobile whips on two MO-2 masts on tri-magnet mounts
on trunk. (54 inches tall)

The 20 meter antenna has a DX Engineering Hot Rodz top hat

We were M/S Multi-Op Rover Mixed Mode. The 3830 posting page only has Multi-Op
Mobile.

Our original plan was to do CW only but the week before FQP NX4N asked if we
could activate FRA and GUL on SSB since no one else was planning to operate from
those counties. Chris even said we could just still submit as CW Only and not
count those QSO's in our score. We just opted to just enter Mixed-Mode and made
some SSB contacts from some other counties as well. 

SSB was a real struggle just like back in 2019 when I did Mixed Mode. Couldn't
really get any rate going. I think I tried calling KV0I in NE on at least five
different occasions and he couldn't hear me even thought he had a loud signal.
What's so puzzling is when I was calling CQ on 20 SSB from STJ late Saturday
afternoon 9K2HM called me with a very loud signal (that was a shocker!) and had
no problem hearing me. I see K8MR and K4FCG made lots of SSB contacts as
mobiles. I don't know if our antenna is broken? I don't think so because we made
over 2000 contacts on 20 CW alone. Maybe the propagation in south Florida is
just better. We didn't do any 40 meter SSB because that would've involved
stopping each time an changing the 40 meter resonator. We had one tuned for CW
and another for SSB. 15 meters wasn't as good for us than it was for the guys in
south Florida.

Speaking of 40 meters... It was very unusual this year. It was basically dead
during the daylight hours and no one was really there until after it was dark.
Last year we made 672 QSO's on 40 meters but only 138 this year. That turned out
to be a moot point because 20 meters was open pretty well for the whole 10 hours
both days! 

We apologize for not spending more time in LIB. We cut thru a corner of it on
Sunday afternoon for about 5 mins and had planned to return but ran out of time.
I remember seeing that was the only county K0RC missed. We opted to spend more
time in FRA and GUL instead. Both K1XX and N4CW activated LIB on Saturday so we
figured most people had worked it. We did work a few stations on SSB from
FRA/GUL so NX4N should be pleased with that. 

For those of you not familiar with the geography of the Florida panhandle the
Apalachicola River basically cuts the FL panhandle in half. There are only about
four bridges that cross it from the Gulf of Mexico to the FL/GA border. Most of
those bridges are in the northern part of FL . On the eastern half of LIB is the
Ochlockonee River. There are only two places to cross from WAK to LIB. One is a
forest service road that crosses the river into LIB. Unfortunately it's a dirt
road and we were having a big downpour of rain at that time and didn't want to
risk getting stuck. So we proceeded to US 98 along the Gulf. That's what makes
activating FRA and GUL so difficult as a rover. It involves some extra driving.


I'm not sure if we will be rover in the future. As John ages he has a hard time
navigating when driving and I have to tell him where to go when he's driving and
I'm operating. That's very hard. Ideally we could use a 3rd person to do some
driving (and some operating) so I'm not so distracted when I'm operating. I'm
trying to talk him in just doing the Expedition/Portable category next year. The
FRA/GUL/LIB/WAK area of the panhandle would be an ideal spot. Everyone would
have no problem working those counties if we opted to do that.

Thanks everyone for the contacts. The CW pileups were crazy as usual.

73, Jeff KU8E


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