I was able to participate in the NAQP for about 7 hours of the 10 allowed hours so it was not bad. I found that 20m for me was the best performing band, followed by 15m. I managed a few contacts on 40m and 80m later in the evening but the best results were from the higher bands.
I managed to work a total of 25 states, 2 provinces and Puerto Rico for a multi of 28 and I managed 52 individual contacts.
The score for this event does not include the fun factor… As I mentioned earlier I was using my FT 450 with the S9 Vertical (10-80m). I was using HRD for logging and radio control and was using my EBAY computer headset. The FT450 and the S9 worked flawlessly and I was very pleased with the performance. I was operating search and pounce for this contest and as usual if I could hear them I would work them. (one VE9 station was the exception to the rule so he did not make it in the log).
I did have some issues on 15m with the vox looping with the headset. I guess I was RFIing my headset microphone… I put a choke on the headset cord up near the headset and it ended. It did have me slightly confused for a while as it was a new problem and did not happen in the last contest. I am guessing it has something to do with the snow covering my radials which were sitting on the ground in the open last contest. I will be revisiting the radial system in the spring time but can’t do much now. My “ugly balun” is also covered with snow at the antenna feed point as well…
The issues with the RFI also knocking the stuffing out of my shack laptop are still there. The system can take me transmitting with 100w on ssb but just about everytime I qsy and hit the auto tune button it causes HRD to freeze up… There is no quick fix to this and I am forced to turn off the computer and re boot and re log in to HRD. I have tried multiple chokes/teroids with no luck. I have also run extra station grounds with no success. Changing computers is next on my list but has not happened yet…
So now lets look at how we did on the goals…
I did have fun…. I did manage to contact 25 states and 11 were new ones for me. Getting closer to my WAS but not there yet. I was only able to contact 2 Canadian Provinces and I’m not sure what happened there. I managed 20m and 40m contacts with Washington State so I know my signal was getting out west. I did hear VE4, VE5 and VE6 on 20m but they were searching and pouncing as well and so we never met up. That one VE9 had trouble hearing me but I also did not do so well with the Eastern Seaboard states with nothing being heard north of Boston Mass so perhaps the band was not heading east for me…
So the final word on this on is… It was fun… Any time I get to sit in the shack for a few hours and make contacts is a great day. Every time I try a contest I get better with the filtering on the FT 450. I still don’t have the contesting skills but I am making contacts quicker… I have a great deal of respect for those who can type and talk at the same time… Wish it was a skill set I had… To hear those contesters running a pile up….WOW
73bob
Tags: amateur radio, amateur radio contesting, North American QSO Party
