Topband: K7RAT QRP Experience in ARRL 160

[James Rodenkirch]

Your experience, Tree, was exactly what I saw, sans the fact I was QRP  Hi Hi

I worked one AR, two IAs and one IL - that was the extent of my "breaking through to the east side of the U.S.

Had 57 Qs in two hours QRP - if I heard a west coast station, I worked 'em - a couple of OKs and a KS or two in the log...heard many TX stations but...called and called but no joy!  

Best of luck in the Stew - I'm lookin' forward to that event as my peanut whistle will be worth more points, hi hi.

72, Jim Rodenkirch, K9JWV


> From: tree at kkn.net
> Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2011 10:46:47 -0800
> To: topband at contesting.com
> Subject: Topband: K7RAT QRP Experience in ARRL 160
> 
> I went into this contesting thinking the QRP record for Oregon would
> be easy to break with 10 hours or so of effort.  WRONG!!  While
> conditions sounded good before sunset - conditions seemed really poor
> to many areas of the country.  I never did manage to work Texas, or
> much of anything on the east coast.
> 
> About half of my QSOs were made CQing and having west coast guys
> answer me.  I would find a "clear" frequency, which was likely
> something a strong European was using (which we could not hear at all
> out west).  Occasionally, I would hear someone call and work whomever
> it was I couldn't hear.
> 
> There was one case where W8JI called me.  This was during a time that
> NOBODY was calling me.  I think I CQ'd for 20 minutes and he was the
> only guy who called.  I was pretty certain he must had been calling
> someone else - and I sent him a "?" - but he came back and signed his
> call again.  I sent a report - and was hoping they would send my call
> to remove any doubt about what was going on - however, all they did
> was send 5NN GA.
> 
> Now - if I had been running other stations on the east coast - I
> probably wouldn't have wondered about this - but since nobody else was
> hearing me - I was stunned that they could hear me.  I eventually
> found their CQ frequency and worked them again.
> 
> This brings up a point - there are a lot of times on 160 where it is
> very useful for the search and pounce station to send the callsign of
> the CQing station - so the CQing station knows for sure who is being
> worked.  The discussion of off frequency stations also highlighted
> this need - as that prevents someone from "working" and unintended
> station if their frequency is slightly off.
> 
> Many people have adopted this operatating practice - and if you are
> someone like W8JI who can do "impossible" things - it might be good to
> do it more often.
> 
> Tree N6TR
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