[ILQSO] AA5JG initial obsevations

[Kevin Anderson]

AA5JG wrote:
> Never heard Kevin, K9IUA on.  Usually get him on 20 for a couple of 
> counties-I could have used him in JODA and WBGO if he was there.

Sorry I missed you, John.  I was there, but I won't fault anyone if they won't claim that I was.  Yesterday was a disaster.  I almost gave up many times.

It didn't help that the church event I was participating in didn't let out until almost 2:30 in the afternoon.  (My wife was one of the honored guests, so I couldn't exactly leave or duck out.)  After a quick change of clothes, I was on the road with still an hour's drive to get to my starting point in far western WBGO.  Once there, I was then plagued with technical troubles with my tuner and my antenna system from mismatches and I believe a bad connector.  It took 40 minutes of wiggling connections and re-seating things to get stuff to behave to where I could get a signal out.  So I wasn't participating until 3:20 or so local.

Spent some time on 20 m in both WBGO and STEP, but 40 m was proving to be the better band most of the time.  (I was reluctant to change bands much, as each antenna change brought the risk of my equipment failing on me again.)  But the problem with 40 meters is everyone gets packed in so close together, it is hard to find an open frequency to call CQ (or to not get chased off once I do).  I didn't make it to JODA county until well after 6 p.m. local, almost 2330 with a potty stop, etc..  But even there some people managed to still find me, but no where close to what I usually do in JODA.

A lot of driving for very little in return.  I know I made some people happy by giving them either WBGO, STEP, or JODA, but it was not nearly the experience I was hoping for, nor anything close to the normal number of stations I typically work calling CQ in the ILQP.  I did manage to work a couple of the county-corner stations for some multipliers.  I will still submit my puny log for the record, but I am embarrassed to see the score in print.  (I haven't even calculated it yet, but I know it is bad.)  As always, a redeeming factor for ILQP, and what brings me back besides the loyalty, is the beautiful fall farmland country I get to drive through up here in northern and northwestern Illinois.

Cheers/73,
Kevin, K9IUA, who is always QRP under that call, even when he attempts the ILQP as a rover.

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Kevin Anderson, Dubuque IA USA, K9IUA
k9iua (at) yahoo (dot) com
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