WOW!
Was that fun! I just got the log back last night and tallied the score. I
managed 44 Q's with 21 S/P/C etc. for a score of 29,568.
Not too bad for a first attempt in a qrp contest. I only managed three
ScQRPions ... I heard a couple more on the wrong side of a qso and never
managed to track them down.
KF4ABV and myself set up at a TV station mountaintop at noon stringing a
center-fed zepp off the tower at 120 feet in spitting snow. Dale also
brought a Butternut vertical to try, so he mounted it on the tower catwalk.
Dale is a codeless tech (for now, anyway) and was planning on working a few
in the contest, but we never heard anyone in the novice bands on 40 or 80
running FYBO. He did get on around 2 am on worked several stations in the 80
meter novice band, so I think he is ready for the test.
You guys/gals are excellent operators! It was really refreshing to be able
to work everyone I called. 20M was fantastic with several Q's at the 100 mw
or less level. When someone reported 3 watts and they were 30 over S9, I
just couldn't resist dropping the power back. I hassled several of the G
contest crowd and worked several at the 2 and 4 watt level on 40, but didn't
get the full exchange from them. I even worked a YU on 80 with 2 watts. We
also tried some of the 160 SSB contest, but after working you fellows with
decent receivers it was too much like work. I really think most of the 160
contest ops were really bootlegging badgers.
For me, the best part of operating portable is getting out of the noise here
in town and into a quiet site. I haven't missed a field day since I was
licensed in 1978, but I think this FYBO was the most fun I have ever had
with a radio. 40 and especially 20 were also a challenge at times from TN
as I could hear two or three of you calling right on top of each other! I
guess you couldn't hear each other due to propagation. I also didn't hear
anyone on FYBO after 0330. I guess the band went too long or something as I
see in other reports that stations were active.
Thanks to all for a great event! I know my friend Dale is hooked on CW (and
QRP after the 160 fracas) now that he has spent some time around a rig
rather than a bunch of code tapes. We should be hearing him prowling around
7040 soon.
72,
Conard WS4S
..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
.. Conard Murray WS4S Glowbugs listowner .
.. 217 Dyer Avenue ws4s@infoave.net .
.. Cookeville, TN 38501 615-526-4093 .
.. <>< Wise men still seek Him ><> .
.. QRP-L # 993 .
..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
[
QRP-L Archive |
]
[
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000
]