[CVCC] NCQP N4E Mobile Score

[Kyle Chavis]

I worked K4OSO in several counties but don't recall anyone else from CVCC.
Kyle
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Totally a last minute decision to operate the NCQP. I had registered the
call N4E earlier and asked my wife if she would drive and she said "How
about asking Mike if he'll go". So a call to Mike and he had plans to
attend a hamfest instead.

I decided to operate "Lone Ranger" until my wife says she'll drive. It
was a early start Sunday morning to get to our starting point of Warren
County, NC.

I had spent most of Saturday preparing the vehicle by installing 40 and
20 meter on a magnet mobile plus a 80m resonator mounted to the bumper
hitch. At first smoke signals showed a horrible noise on 40 meters!! 20
was ok but still a little bit more noise than I had hoped. The noise
blanker didn't help much and any troubleshooting didn't help.

We arrived Warren and Northampton line at 9:15am with plenty on time to
setup and check out the equipment. At the start on the contest
conditions seemed poor with only 84 contacts the first hour and I'm on
my 3rd county. Conditions finally picked up with 20 meters being the
productive band. My SWR was a little high on 20 with a 2 to 1 so my
signal couldn't have been the best. The antennas (80/40/20 Hustlers)
seemed to play well with working stations in Europe and most of the USA.

To be honest none of this would have happened if it wasn't for my wife
"Pam". She is a true sweetheart and what a trooper staying behind the
wheel the entire QSO Party. We made a quick stop for her to pickup some
snacks, gas, Micky D, Starbucks :), and to pee a couple times. N4E hit
25 counties and was back at it stopping point with 45 minutes to spare!!

20 meters takes top honors at being the most productive with 741 Qs.
Thanks especially to the DX worked, DL, OK, HB9, ZS, others!!

40 meters was the toughest band with lots of engine noise but the band
never seemed like it should if you know what I mean? 215 contacts

Once the sun went down I stopped and installed the 80m resonator. 48
contacts in the last few minutes of the contest.

The weather was great with temps in the 70's, sunny skies, prefect QSO
party weather to be mobile in February. It was a lot of fun if I could
cure the engine noise that would be awesome. Back home around 9:45PM we
were both tired and ready to hit the sack. I asked Pam today if she
would do it again next year and she replied, "I'm ready!"

With the side trips the trip was around 550 miles, 2 tanks of gas, a
Icom 706MKIIG, laptop, Hustler resonators, and GPS.

Thank you everyone for the contacts and a HUGE thanks for the NCQP
group. THANK  YOU for your hard work promoting the contest, improving
the contest, and the work after the contest.

80 -  48 Qs
40 - 215
20 - 741
-----------------
          1004x 70 MULTS = 210,890 points according to N1MM

Bonus on 50 for working W4DW and 2500 for the counties = 213,440 total
points

73 Kyle, WA4PGM aka N4E/mobile