[Mldxcc] Fw: CaQP K6C(@W1RH) M/SFixed HP

[Robert Hess]

                     California QSO Party

Call: K6C
Operator(s): W1RH, AA1ON
Station: W1RH

Class: M/SFixed HP
QTH: ELDO
Operating Time (hrs): 30
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs
--------------------
  160:     4      0
   80:   145    160
   40:   235    161
   20:   337    277
   15:   267    305
   10:   117    131
    6:            
    2:            
--------------------
Total:  1105   1034  Mults = 58  Total Score = 312,214

Club: Mother Lode DX & Contest Club

Comments:


For the third year in a row, I did this contest with my
long time contesting partner, Martin, AA1ON, who lives part time in VR2 and W1
and plans his commute around CQP.  He did
about 80% phone and I did about 80% CW.  We compliment each other well.
 
Prior to the test, we put up a vertical 40 meter square
loop, had dinner with W6SR, and discussed where we want to dxpedition in the
Pacific.  Martin also worked 3D2R on 10
CW, for a new band-mode for me, while I was BBQ'ing the steaks.   
 
Regarding CQP, we really thought we would improve on last
year's score but missed it by a handful of Q's (10 I think).  With more antennas and SO2R, we were certain
we would have a better score.  CQ runs
were disappointing and, other than being called by the occasional European, we
never really had any Eu runs.   We did get a sweep early on Saturday when we got called by Delaware in a run.

Nice to hear some of our YCCC buddies.  Worked Paul, K1XM, multiple times as well as our old pal, Dennis, W1UE (formerly NB1B), operating from 6Y.


Problems:
 
I did most of the overnight and was surprised to
encounter some crazy contest  haters in the 3 AM hour (local) while running CW with a rate of about 30 in
a wide open band.  Moved up 5 Khz and all was well.
 
I have a wireless ISP operating on the tower.  I get free internet and they get a tower
location.  Both my station and the ISP
have coexisted now without interference for a few years now.  I've never really done any significant high
power operation on 10, however, since I began building this station.  We noticed, when running 10, that packet quit.  Then I checked the phone and internet and it
was all dead.  Rebooted the ISP router
and it all came back.  Continued running
on 10 and it quit again.  
 
Did I say that this ISP serves about 400 in the valley
1000 feet below me?  When I lose Internet, they do too.  So....do we stop the 10M runs or just to hell
with the internet?  We chose the latter
but did shorten the 10 meter runs to around 15 minutes and just made sure we rebooted the router following the runs.  We probably sacrificed some points by doing this.  I had warned the ISP
about potential RF issues and they chose to ignore.  I'll be working with them to fix this prior
to ARRL 10 test.

Output power on the AL-1200 was varying all over the map on all bands but was otherwise operating normally (clean, no spurs).  Never dropped below 500 watts, so we kept using it rather than wasting time swapping amps.  Put the Henry 3K in service after the contest and will need to find out what's going on with the AL-1200.