[NCC] W3USA/M Pennsylvania QSO Party Report

[Jimk8mr at aol.com]

Pennsylvania QSO Party

Call: W3USA
Operator(s): K8MR, AC8E
Station:  W3USA

Class: Mobile LP
QTH: 32 Counties
Operating Time (hrs):  21.5

Summary:

Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs

80:   174   142
40:   682   108
20:   159   22
15:    10      1
10:     1      1
2:            5
---------------------------------------
Total:  1026    279        Mults = 118  Total Score =  238,250.0

Club: North Coast Contesters

Comments:

By County  (in order of operation; in some cases we left and later returned
to a  county)

CW     SSB
Mercer        35       7
Lawrence      21     14
Butler   32      8
Armstrong      40     16
Indiana       41   25
Cambria       24       3
Somerset      53     12
Bedford   46     19
Fulton       26      2
Huntingdon    24      14
Franklin      25      9
Cumberland   48      1
York           19      2
Dauphin       21     0
Perry         11       0
Juniata       11      0
Snyder   21      0
N'umberland    27     14
Montour       27   19
Union         30       7
Lycoming      21      6
Clinton   20     12
Centre       41     12
Clearfield    51      21
Cameron       27     13
Elk   15      7
Jefferson   54      5
Clarion        32      0
Forest        33   14
Venango       36       0
Warren        53       5
Crawford      61     12

The score  includes bonus points for 32 counties and 2 N3SH qsos.


Missed: ADA,  CRN, CEN, FAY, FOR, JUN, MER, NUM, SUL, SUS, WAY. We operated
from six of  those. Outside PA we missed RI, NLI, MS, SB, PAC, AK, EWA, ID, 
MT,
NV, UT; in  Canada worked VE1-4 and VE7.

This year's operation was somewhat late  coming together as my usual mobile
partner W8DRZ had cataract surgery the  week before and was advised not to
drive at night.  Fortunately I was  able to recruit AC8E to take on the 
driving
task.
 
I offered him an occasional shot with the mike, but he turned it down  and
made me do all the work.

My goal was to beat the record we set  last year with W1NN.  With the poor 
daytime conditions last year I thought  it was a pretty good shot. Until about 
0100 things were going well, but when  operating from York county I could tell 
the local signals on 80 cw were getting  weaker and watery. When K3WW kept 
CQing in my face I knew things were  bad.

In the last four hours, starting in York county, we had 85 qsos on  80 cw,
vs. 329 last year.  In Juniata we spent 20 minutes parked to work  8 qsos, and
decided to leave without even getting the 10 for the county  bonus.

Fortunately we got a mini run (3 qsos) as we were driving out to make  that 
quota. Things
were so bad we quit shortly after checking into our motel  at midnight.

We didn't get a great night's sleep, so were up pretty  early. We used that
extra time to travel the 5 extra miles in Montour county  to visit W3TDF's
portable operation.  Our 10 meter and 15 SSB qsos were  with Ray as we were
leaving his site.  Most of the other 15 cw qsos were  moves with N6MU.

No radio problems.  The only scare came before I  realized that punching from
80 CW to 75 SSB did not automatically switch the  antenna. This was just as we
had driven under some low hanging branches at a  park in Fulton county, 
causing
me to think we had broken an  antenna.

The weather was great though cool.  This was the first trip  where I have had
to clear frost off the car in the morning.  It let me  appreciate what the 
guys
in Minnesota (Feb) and Wisconsin (Mar) must have to  put up with in their 
state
qso parties.

With the late date this year  the leaves were in good viewing condition.  It
was a real pleasure for a  couple of trips off the highway into the forest in
Somerset, Lycoming,  Cameron, Forest, and some other counties.  Especially
considering how  quiet the bands can be when you're away from the power grid.

Anyway, the  K8MR minivan (1996 Windstar) has been emptied and put into semi
hibernation  for the winter.  Hopefully it will survive to return for the 
Michigan QSO  party next April.



73  -  Jim   K8MR