[ILQSO] KI9A results/observations

[KI9A at aol.com]

Wow..SO nice to actually have short condx on 40 again!!  Worked on IL  on 
20, battled +10 line noise on 80, but had fun!
 
-  really miss hearing lots of the mobiles that we always had, but,  W9WI, 
N9JF, N9BIL, and the others were all over, and loud!  Nice job you  guys!  
It really pays for me, to have a 2nd radio tuned to 40, to follow  you all! 
It amazes me the dedication, and skill level of these mobiles! Same  with the 
portable guys!
 
- why do I still beat my head on the desk, seeing all the spots for juicy  
mults the mobiles are putting out, on 20, when I can't hear them..and, 
later, on  40 after dark, when, again I can't hear them! Grr!
 
-  A local ham, Dennis, KC9IXO, did a great job recruiting hams from 4  or 
5 downstate clubs, to get some uncovered counties on the air. Nice job.   I 
almost missed my own county, but, me Dad and his 2 meter FM in his truck 
saved  the day. He drove over, thru Monroe & St. Clair.  Could not hear him in  
the other counties this year, as my 17 ele 2 meter yagi is down. Turning 
that  thing vertical really worked great for chasing him around, the vertical 
didn't  cut it.
 
- Had my 5 DX mults call me on 20, inside of 10 minutes of the start.  
That's cool, considering my yagi is all of 25 feet high.
 
- I still wonder about the RTTY guys on 40.  How is it, if I hear a  +25 
rtty guy, he can't hear me, and fires up dead on my freq? Oh, I know..he  
thinks I can't decode his call..I did, and just popped a hate maill of to  
him..Got to love that function on the Pro 3.
 
-  I heard some activity on 10, so I put the 2nd rig there. 1st CQ  netted 
me an LU.  Nothing else..:-(
 
- I look forward to this every year. It's something I can compete in, with  
my little pistol station.  Might think about stepping aside from the fixed  
station next year, and go portable with the guys. Not sure yet, though!
 
 
- If you can get you hands on a second radio, and any antenna, do it. It's  
worth its weight for following the mobiles around! I might think about  
some filtering for next year, and some automation. I made a cheap splitter for  
the headset. Easy..and works..
 
HUGE signals this year!!!!   As always, I'm curious of how of how  I 
sounded, compared to others...
 
73- Chuck KI9A
 
299 CW  
285 SSB
129 mults
113,778 points