[CQ-Contest] NAQP - Operating off the continent?

[k3bu at optonline.net]

Monoband contests are very reasonable to combine with "attache case" expeditioning, vacation and fun.
Example my C6AYB operation in 160m CQ Contest. We "needed" vacation somewhere warm, almost last minute special deal in Bahamas. Emails reserved the callsign, will pay when we arrive. Asked for the hotel room as high as possible and available facing the ocean. Promised and reserved.
Rig: IC706 with switching PS, notebook computer, spool of quarter wave wire and some alligator clips and airdux coil for possible matching.
Got there week before the contest to "get tired" of vacation and prepare for contest. I wanted to test the half sloper performance next to salty ocean beach. I threw the wire from the 9th floor balcony, tied it down to a palm tree next to the ocean, ground aligator clip to aluminum balcony door frame and got perfect 50 ohm match, no need for coils. Keyed the rig, send TEST C6AYB around 9 am and W8UVZ calls back, wow, things work. Ready for contest, headphones on, computer keying/logging works, XYL is sleeping, QSOs pouring in. Noise from the next door hotel roof AC, but managed to work around it. The net result was that I managed to beat old LP world record, only to find that Alex D4B blew the amp and run also as LP and totally creamed my "new world record. "
The net result was that we had fun vacation, did some operating and semi serious contesting on a shoe string setup and started to plan for more serious operation, still to materialize. I also verified that half sloper with its high current distribution way high and "looking" further out at the reflections in the salt water works extremely well.
Fun can be had with limited station while enjoying the vacation with XYL if you get her tired before and she will be glad to have couple of peaceful nights :-)
 
73 Yuri, K3BU.us