[RSM] Fwd: NAQP CW VE4EA Single Op HP

[Cary Rubenfeld]

While I love the NAQP events, I really wasn't planning to operate in this
the August CW party.  My trusty dipole(s) and 100 watts are not what I'm
accustomed to.  My station rebuild is still in the hands of powers outside
my control.  Still, it's the NAQP and always, there's the burning question:
"...what's out there......are we alone in the universe....?"  (but I
digress).

At the start, conditions on 20m were horrid (signals were weak, muted and
QRN heavy).  Conditions felt like aurora, coronal hole and and Kp index of
5 all in one!  East coast stations were screaming "... come to 15m.. 10m is
open...."  West coast stations were already racking up rates in excess of
150 Qs/hour on the online Live Scoreboard.

But, here in VE4-land, the midday , summer doldrums, with a dipole felt
like living *The Blackest of Black Holes.*  Running was impossible.  I was
not being heard.

I turned my amplifier (400w).  This immediately disqualifies me as an
entry.  But, at least now I can be heard.  This gave me hope that I might
be able to run later in the day.  The first 100 QSO's took 5 hours.  The
next 100 took just over an hour.

Signals improved after 0000z.  The magic of the VE4 prefix (multiplier)
started kicking in.  Everybody started hearing me; or, they pretended to.
For the last 5 hours, it was a lot of fun

Compliments to Jack K0JP and David VE4DL for sticking it out and getting
into the spirit, both with good efforts.
73,  Cary
(from home with a dipole)


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <webform at b4h.net>
Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2020 at 01:24
Subject: NAQP CW VE4EA Single Op HP
To: <3830 at contesting.com>, <carys1 at gmail.com>


                    North American QSO Party, CW - August

Call: VE4EA
Operator(s): VE4EA
Station: VE4EA

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Manitoba
Operating Time (hrs): 9.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:
   80:  111    45
   40:  159    47
   20:  201    42
   15:    4     4
   10:
-------------------
Total:  475   141  Total Score = 66,975
(HP not submitted)

Club: Radiosport Manitoba

Team: N/A