[OKDXA] A Satisfied OKQP Customer

[Jerry Chouinard]

   Here's  one  of  several  emails  I  have  received  complimenting the
   activity in this years OK QSO Party.  Thought I would pass along.
   10+ rovers seemed to have kept a large out of state crowd busy with Qs
   and  coverage of all 77 counties.  One California op missed a complete
   sweep  of  OK  counties by 1 - McCurtain.  There are a number of other
   out  of  state  stations  reporting  70+ counties worked.  Good job in
   staters.
   Many logs are rolling in - the pace is well ahead of last year.
   K5YAA

     From: "Bill Burgess" <ve3cru at rac.ca>
     To: "Jerry Chouinard" <k5yaa at okdxa.org>
     Subject: OKQP Contest
     Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 20:20:50 -0500
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     Greetings all,

     I  thoroughly  enjoyed my time chasing each of you all last weekend
     in the OKQP.  Never, outside of our OQP have I had so much activity
     in  a qso party event.  I actually put in just over 10 hours in the
     contest and got a surprisingly good score too.

     In the beginning, I planned on running 3 logsheets all weekend, for
     the IDQP, OKQP and WIQP.  However, not a soul was heard in the IDQP
     Saturday,  so  I used their 2 logsheets in yours.  Only after 1700z
     Sunday  did  I  hear any IDQP, and a few seeking WI to no avail.  I
     did not expect so much activity form OK.  Surprise!!!

     By  Sunday  I  was  on  a  roll,  skipping the ProII back and forth
     between  20  cw  and  20 ssb, every 5 minutes or so, sometimes also
     snooping  on  40.   Ran  LP  on 40 and usually 500 watts on 20, not
     taking  time  to retune the AL-811H which was running 500 watts.  A
     few times I forgot to switch the amp on after being on 40 for a qso
     or  two.   The 3 element T?-3jr was parked on OK, with the director
     sagging 30 degrees, un 30 feet of tower.  The bug misbehaved in the
     last hour or more.
     I was worried for W5LE who developed a strong chirp on cw, near the
     end of the contest and fortunately his rig did not quit.

     I can guarantee you I will be back for the full duration next year,
     as  I don't know how many counties I missed during my prime absence
     of 2200z Saturday and 0300z Sunday.

     A  note re the absence.  Many have heard about JOTA, or Jamboree On
     The  Air  for  Scouts and Guides which happens mid-October.  I have
     been  the  ham  coordinator  for  the  largest  ever  contingent of
     Canadian  Scouts  assembled  under  canvas  for the full weekend to
     participate  in  JOTA.   5  ham stations are set up in 5 sub-camps,
     running  both  HF and IRLP.  I have taken the tribander now up here
     twice  and  30 feet of tower.  The rest use dipoles and vhf arrays.
     We  have  cold weather including 2 hailstorms 2 years ago, and rain
     and  snow  all  weekend  last October.  Hams are sheltered from the
     rain but not from the cold and wind.  Brrrrr.  Numbers.....2003 saw
     488  camping,  2004  it  peaked at 518, and last year was 375 under
     very  foul  wx.   Camped  at Mosport Park and racetrack, beside the
     track which is active both days and noisy too.

     Go  to:  www  webshots  dot  com ( replace the dot with . and put a
     period between www and webshots ) and seek VE3CRU to see my earlier
     rovering  in  the white Chev Venture with no roof racks, setting up
     antennas  at  4 grids alone.  Then the Rovermobile, a Toyota Sienna
     with  roof  racks  and  a Ham 4 rotator on top for obvious reasons.
     Also  some  microwave  shots.  The big horn rig is 40 mw on 10 gigs
     wbfm  and I set a new ground path VE record with it the first qso I
     made.   You  may also see the 5 mw 24 gig wbfm rig too.  Now have 5
     watts ssb/cw on 10 gigs.

     Thanks  for  so  much  fun,  and for taking the time to read all of
     this.   The  Ontario  QSO  Party is April 15-16 from noon your time
     Saturday to noon your time Sunday.

     73,

     Bill   VE3CRU