[PaQSO] Summary from rare Lackawanna County

[Ka3qlf@aol.com]

Good evening all, I just wanted to share a few notes from this years PAQP 
experience. I wasn't sure what to expect this year, no high power, no 7 element 
tri-bander sitting on a nice rohn45 tower, no more on top of a hill, now I'm in 
a valley. Goals I set for this year were light, 750qso's, 100,000 points, 125 
multi's, 150 CW qsos and a clean sweep of PA. I fell just short of each one, 
my summary reads:

KA3QLF, Single Op Home Station, Medium Power
160/80 CW Q's       52              Score: 104
Other CW    40 m    76                      114
Phone Q's           590                     590
Totals:             718                     808

Pa Counties:    66 missed Montour
ARRL Sect's 51 plus 1 dx    
Totals:     118

Raw Score: 95344

Worked W3KWH 3 times for 600 bonus points  Total submitted score: 95944

Since this is the first ever contest at medium power for me, I am considering 
taking the qrp bonus..no amp is a definite downer.  All told though, my 
lessons learned this year---you need power to run with the big guns, for next year 
I'll need a 160 m antenna, I missed too many Q's this year without one. I'll 
need a more decent antenna for 10-15-20..missed way too many midwest-west coast 
multis. dipole just didn't cut it.

Highlights: Actually have mobiles/qrp return my cq's for mobile/qrp only. 
Seeing my CW counts up as high as they are..while my goal was 150..I 
realistically believed 80-90. Being thanked so late in the test for LAC as a "new 
one"..myself, maybe a few on 2 m, and the mobiles are all that I know of form LAC this 
year.  Thanks again to NARC and all who help put this together, it is truly 
the most fun contest to run in, and I hope I never miss one.  

Vy 73--Scott