Post
Party Tidbits
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On 24 March, Duane, KK4BZ, emailed:
134ft Off Center Fed Dipole wire antenna for 6-160m, 10ft vertical for 70cm, 1.25m, and 2m.
First location in MPX was not good. In previous year, pulled wire antenna up into trees. But trees grow and the limbs were unfavorable this year. Location was also very noisy electronically. Took and hour and a half to put up wire antenna then struggled for every HF contact.
Found another location in MPX when relocating. Went to new MPX location the second day and put up the wire antenna, the vertical antenna, started the generator, and was making QSOs in about 30 minutes. Much better for HF. High winds prevented getting the vertical antenna very high, but it was excellent anyway.
Had to cease operations for a few hours for a family commitment.
Attempted to get on the air quickly with just the vertical antenna in the last hour, but disaster struck. Logging computer hard drive decided to not play and vertical antenna connector broke. Put up a mag mount vertical antenna and used paper log to get a half dozen more Qs in the last few minutes.
Still had a lot of fun. Looking forward to next year.
**************
On 23 March, L�szl�, OM2VL, emailed:
Thanks for the nice QP!
True note David - KA6BIM - about VA mobiles ... Unfortunately still many stations/mobiles are only on 80/40m during my daylight when high bands are wide open. Yes, I know 40m SSB rate is so high, but I think Westcoast and overseas stations who take part on the party deserve some (5-10min) chance to make counties which are QRV only on low bands.
For me as European station also big handicap, that 99,9% of VA stations are QRV only behind 7.200 where I can transmit ...
Just imagine how high score I can reach when KM4OZH/M (28 COUNTIES), KO4EBY/M (8 counties), W4GO/M (38 counties) QSY some minutes also on 20/15m.
KO4EBY/M - 0 QSO
KM4OZH/M - 1 QSO, when I heard his QSO on 10m with KW4VA
W4GO/M - 18 QSO, thank you very much Matthew that on Saturday you was also on 20m. On Sunday I missed many your counties on the West corner of Virginia which was active only on 40/80m.
As usually my BIG BIG BIG thanks to Bert - N4CW/M. We make amazing number of QSOs! Thank you so much!
I try some SSB RUN on 40m where many USA station have close to 200 QSO, but unfortunately many of them not check below 7.200. Thanks for that 20 station who back to my CQ here!
Most QSOs with:
Mobile:
N4CW/M 121/72 (QSO/cty) !!!
W4GO/M 18/15
W5VS/M 12/10
W2RU/M 6/3
K4BW/M 5/2
K4APR/M 4/4
K4MI/M 3/3
KM4OZH/M 1/1
WY7AA/M 1/1
Resident:
(10): KW4VA
(8): K4Z
(7): K4IA, KG3V, W4VA
(6): K4OAQ, K4VIG, KW4CW, N4DJ
(5): 8x
(4): 6x
Of course thanks for every 1 QSO! 73, Laci
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On 20 March 2023, WY7AA emailed:
I am visiting my parents in East TN from WY. I happened to look at the contest calendar on Tuesday of this week and I saw the VA QSO Party listed. Not expecting to do any contests while on this trip, I did not bring any of my mobile antenna setups. And so the planning began, where could I work with my Wolf River Coil antenna and how many counties could I work from. Oh, and a quick order to get a Bioenno 15aH battery in time for the contest.
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On 19 March 2023, AJ4LN emailed:
- Eric, AJ4LN
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On 19 March 2023, K3IW emailed:
Howdy,
The 2023 VA QSO Party is nearly in the books--I quit early cuz there was a lack of fresh meat left to chase. Where were the CW mobiles? I worked K4MI/M a cupla times, but that was it. It seemed the bands were pretty stinky. Eighty was mostly dead; 40 had bad atmospheric noise, but that's where most folks seemed to be, and I ran some QSO's on 20 until it closed down. Basically I beat my head against a wall all weekend with my IC-705 cranked down to half power--five watts. I worked the whole QSO party on CW QRP just to see if I could once again take Montgomery County where N3KN usually cleans up Mixed, but where I think I had more competition this year.
...
I've attached a photo of me and Sanibel the 19-year-old cat performing dupe duties as I operated the QSO Party.
Thanks for all you do.
73,
Robert "Rick" Barrow, K3IW
Christiansburg
On 24 March, Duane, KK4BZ, emailed:
134ft Off Center Fed Dipole wire antenna for 6-160m, 10ft vertical for 70cm, 1.25m, and 2m.
First location in MPX was not good. In previous year, pulled wire antenna up into trees. But trees grow and the limbs were unfavorable this year. Location was also very noisy electronically. Took and hour and a half to put up wire antenna then struggled for every HF contact.
Found another location in MPX when relocating. Went to new MPX location the second day and put up the wire antenna, the vertical antenna, started the generator, and was making QSOs in about 30 minutes. Much better for HF. High winds prevented getting the vertical antenna very high, but it was excellent anyway.
Had to cease operations for a few hours for a family commitment.
Attempted to get on the air quickly with just the vertical antenna in the last hour, but disaster struck. Logging computer hard drive decided to not play and vertical antenna connector broke. Put up a mag mount vertical antenna and used paper log to get a half dozen more Qs in the last few minutes.
Still had a lot of fun. Looking forward to next year.
**************
On 23 March, L�szl�, OM2VL, emailed:
Thanks for the nice QP!
True note David - KA6BIM - about VA mobiles ... Unfortunately still many stations/mobiles are only on 80/40m during my daylight when high bands are wide open. Yes, I know 40m SSB rate is so high, but I think Westcoast and overseas stations who take part on the party deserve some (5-10min) chance to make counties which are QRV only on low bands.
For me as European station also big handicap, that 99,9% of VA stations are QRV only behind 7.200 where I can transmit ...
Just imagine how high score I can reach when KM4OZH/M (28 COUNTIES), KO4EBY/M (8 counties), W4GO/M (38 counties) QSY some minutes also on 20/15m.
KO4EBY/M - 0 QSO
KM4OZH/M - 1 QSO, when I heard his QSO on 10m with KW4VA
W4GO/M - 18 QSO, thank you very much Matthew that on Saturday you was also on 20m. On Sunday I missed many your counties on the West corner of Virginia which was active only on 40/80m.
As usually my BIG BIG BIG thanks to Bert - N4CW/M. We make amazing number of QSOs! Thank you so much!
I try some SSB RUN on 40m where many USA station have close to 200 QSO, but unfortunately many of them not check below 7.200. Thanks for that 20 station who back to my CQ here!
Most QSOs with:
Mobile:
N4CW/M 121/72 (QSO/cty) !!!
W4GO/M 18/15
W5VS/M 12/10
W2RU/M 6/3
K4BW/M 5/2
K4APR/M 4/4
K4MI/M 3/3
KM4OZH/M 1/1
WY7AA/M 1/1
Resident:
(10): KW4VA
(8): K4Z
(7): K4IA, KG3V, W4VA
(6): K4OAQ, K4VIG, KW4CW, N4DJ
(5): 8x
(4): 6x
Of course thanks for every 1 QSO! 73, Laci
**************
On 20 March 2023, WY7AA emailed:
I am visiting my parents in East TN from WY. I happened to look at the contest calendar on Tuesday of this week and I saw the VA QSO Party listed. Not expecting to do any contests while on this trip, I did not bring any of my mobile antenna setups. And so the planning began, where could I work with my Wolf River Coil antenna and how many counties could I work from. Oh, and a quick order to get a Bioenno 15aH battery in time for the contest.
It was fun to travel around SW VA and see the
countryside. I had a 2 hour trip to get to Lee
county in the AM, and then I worked my way back towards
the parents QTH during the day through Wise and
Scott. Overall on Saturday, I had 307 SSB contacts
on 40,20 and 15.
I am a veteran of 7QP, NE, CO, and KS QSO
Parties, and typically I sit on a county line and get 2
for 1 contacts mostly on 20m. This contest was a
different animal for me, as 40m and VA contacts were
both very strong for me. In Wyoming there aren't
enough other operators to spend much time on 40m to work
locals. And I only said KS QSO Party on the air
about a dozen times.
Thanks for letting a 7 call come play in your
contest.
73
R.J.
WY7AA/M
First Picture
Second PictureFirst Picture
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On 19 March 2023, AJ4LN emailed:
517 unique phone contacts, and 95 of
133 VA counties/cities worked, plus several states and
a couple other countries for 129 total multipliers. CLAIMED-SCORE:
76,497. I worked the 5 HF bands. This
is my best year so far (out of 14 years). 100 watts
and a wire. I'm also working the State QSO Party
Challenge all year again, and doing really well for
the moment: http://stateqsoparty.com/.
If you can see the attached photo, the red are the
worked VA entities.
*************
On 19 March 2023, K3IW emailed:
Howdy,
The 2023 VA QSO Party is nearly in the books--I quit early cuz there was a lack of fresh meat left to chase. Where were the CW mobiles? I worked K4MI/M a cupla times, but that was it. It seemed the bands were pretty stinky. Eighty was mostly dead; 40 had bad atmospheric noise, but that's where most folks seemed to be, and I ran some QSO's on 20 until it closed down. Basically I beat my head against a wall all weekend with my IC-705 cranked down to half power--five watts. I worked the whole QSO party on CW QRP just to see if I could once again take Montgomery County where N3KN usually cleans up Mixed, but where I think I had more competition this year.
...
I've attached a photo of me and Sanibel the 19-year-old cat performing dupe duties as I operated the QSO Party.
Thanks for all you do.
73,
Robert "Rick" Barrow, K3IW
Christiansburg