[SCCC] CQP

[Dennis Younker]

California QSO Party

Call: NE6I
Operator(s): NE6I
Station: NE6I

Class: SOFixed HP
QTH: San Diego
Operating Time (hrs): 15

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs
--------------------
  160:    0      0
   80:   42      0
   40:  115     34
   20:  150     26
   15:    1      0
   10:    0      0
    6:    0      0
    2:    0      0
--------------------
Total:  308     60  Mults = 50  Total Score = 52,200

Club:  SCCC and NCCC are not eligible in this one. Maybe we should create an 
alternative.  I hear that San Diego was all over this contest. Maybe we need 
a San Diego Contest Club for CQP!  Alternatively, to include all SCCCers, 
maybe Southern California Mavericks or some such...

Comments:  Note the one lonely QSO on 15!  That was with Argentina!  Never 
heard any other signals!  On 80, I have no antenna, so I broke the shield on 
the coax of the 40 meter antenna and made essentially a random wire antenna. 
Good for 42 Q's. Barefoot.  I'll take it.  In fact, I was barefoot all day 
Saturday.  Since I live where there are CC&R's and shouldn't even have 
antennas, I've never pulled the amp out.  Until Sunday!  On Saturday, I 
added a low voltage keying kit to the old SB-220 so that the TS-940S could 
key it.  Then realized I didn't have a DIN plug to tie to the 940 and switch 
the amp. Argh.  But hams don't let these things stop them, right?  I dug out 
a foot switch and switched the amp that way. Naturally, the switch was wired 
for normally closed instead of normally open, so for about an hour, I had to 
step on the switch to receive, and lift the foot to transmit!  Bass 
ackwards!  Got tired of that and took a 15 minute break to rewire the 
switch!  All said and done, the amp made a night and day difference.  I 
could work anything I could hear, and several called me that I really 
couldn't hear.  Barefoot, it's more or less the opposite situation!

Several mults called me late. VT, MT, IA.  IA?!  Can't believe that came so 
late!  Missed KY of all states!  Where were those guys?  Also missed Idaho. 
I have family that live right behind a ham in ID.  I was tempted to call and 
have them get the guy on.  But I have scruples and was operating SO 
Unassisted.  :)

Funny story:
I had the Chargers football game on TV while contesting Sunday. Shortly 
after activating the amp, the CBS affiliate lost video.  I thought I had 
blown out my TV for a second there!  Turns out the TV station flubbed up at 
their Master Control.  Whew!

Had a great time, and even though I still don't have decent antennas, at 
least the amp is back in business.  Looking forward to the coming contest 
season.

PS, anyone know what name to use to allow LOTW to accept the CQP log?  I 
keep getting a "contest name not recognized" error when uploading the 
Cabrillo file. I had this figured out once before but have forgotten the 
solution. I exported to ADIF and uploaded that. Seemed like it worked but 
waiting for LOTW to work its queued up files...

PSS, anxious to see how K6NA and W6YI did. Those guys were killing it!  Also 
interested in hearing which antennas they found most effective. I know they 
both have a lot of antennas optimized for DX. I wonder if they used antennas 
lower on the towers for CQP???